Tower of Babel
by LaughingSenselessly
Summary: Without his knowledge, Batman's contingency plans against the league are put into affect. In the aftermath, how will Diana react when she realizes Batman made a plot to destroy her? And can they ever rebuild their relationship, maybe into something more? (This summary sucks. Just give it a try! :P) Set in the DCAU. BMWW. Cover art credit: Jasric
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story is set in the DCAU, around JLU in the timeline. I draw inspiration with the plot from the movie Justice League: Doom, the JL: Tower of Babel graphic novel, and theamerican91 's awesome fanfiction Heart of Darkness (see my Favourites) which briefly alludes to Tower of Babel. **

**The POVs are a little messed up, sometimes I might add a thought of someone else just because. All right. Here we go.**

**Bruce POV**

"Bruce Wayne!"

The drunken yell was heard around half the ballroom as peoples' heads turned to see who was screeching the name of the notorious playboy.

The billionaire in question put his hands up in what he obviously hoped was a calming gesture. "I swear, I kissed her on the _cheek_, Randi," he said, his own voice not quite as slurred, but enough so that it was clear he wasn't sober.

The brunette bombshell he was arguing with slapped him across the face so hard he stumbled back a step. "My name is _Mandi_!" she hissed. "And you're a douche!"

She stormed away, leaving Bruce to rub his jaw and laugh for the entertainment of the people around him. "If I called her Sandi, you think she would have taken it better?" he grinned. The small crowd that had been watching the scene smiled measuredly at the joke and after a moment or two, realized the confrontation was over and turned away.

But never for long, Bruce thought grimly to himself as he snatched a glass of champagne off a passing waiter's tray. Eyes were _always_ on him. He just had to make sure he controlled what they looked for. And he did.

As he pretended to take a sip of alcohol, he scanned the room, calculating. He would have to be seen with at least two more women tonight; perhaps if things were getting too dry, get 'caught' with another in a compromising position.

"Brucey! It's been too long!"

Bruce turned, plastering on his biggest grin. A group of society hags stood in front of him, rich women in their late-forties who ran in the same circles as he did.

"Mrs. Vivian Faxfair," he addressed the woman that had called to him. "It's been too long." He allowed his eyes to travel over her body, quick enough that it wasn't extremely obvious but slow enough that he knew she would catch it. Then he met her eyes and turned up the wattage on his sexy grin. Audible sighs were heard. The woman beside her fanned herself in a very unsubtle way.

"It's Mrs. Vivian _Walters_ now, actually," Vivian said, batting her eyes. "I got married again."

Bruce feigned surprise, even though he already knew this. "Really?" he allowed a small measure of disappointment into his voice. "Tied yourself down again?"

Vivian sauntered forward and put her hand on his arm. "Sometimes I get loose," she breathed into his ear.

Bruce opened his mouth to respond when he heard another voice.

"Hello, Mr. Wayne."

And this was a voice he actually wanted to hear.

He remained rooted where he was, staring into Vivian's eyes for just a moment; just a moment that he needed to compose himself before he faced her.

He turned, so fast in his apparent drunken exuberance that he stumbled slightly. "Wonder Woman!"

Diana stood before him, wearing a beautiful pale pink gown that didn't reveal much but skimmed over her curves. Her hair was clipped in a very simple bun at the nape of her neck. Classy. Elegant, Bruce noted with approval. She took his breath away with her confidence, her grace, and with her smile.

Unfortunately, Bruce couldn't give her or show her those kinds of compliments. Instead, he allowed his eyes to peruse her body as well, even slower than to Mrs. Vivian _Walters_. His gaze lingered especially around her generous bust before she- _ahem, ahem_\- coughed.

He looked up, into her beautiful ocean blue eyes. "Sorry," he said, delivering a rakish grin that indicated that this wasn't the case at all. Vivian's friend who had fanned herself earlier harrumphed in the background.

Diana, to her credit, wasn't shaken up at all by his tactics. "Hello, Mr. Wayne," she said again, formally. "I hear that you are one of the major benefactors and hosts of this charity ball. I wanted to thank you for supporting it."

"Not at all," Bruce said. "I love charity. I love Metropolis. And I love museums," he blabbed, spreading his hand to indicate their current venue. "So it all adds up to a night I wouldn't want to miss. Are you a speaker here tonight?"

She nodded. "Yes."

Bruce boldly stepped closer. "We danced once in Paris, you know."

Diana nodded again, but her eyes asked him: _What game are you playing?_.

He held out his arm. "I seem to remember we were rudely interrupted that time. Care to finish that dance?"

She hesitated a moment, and Bruce saw her eyes glance at the society women beside him before returning his gaze once again. "Why not, for the generous philanthropist," she said graciously.

The more boisterous side of Bruce's personality did a mental fist-pump. God, he thought with self-disgust, the Flash was rubbing off on him.

Diana POV

A new song started up; it wasn't extremely slow but it wasn't very fast either. Bruce gathered her into his arms and they began to dance.

When she'd first seen him, he took her breath away, even though she'd seen him in a tux in the tabloids and in the flesh several times before. The fact was, he was a really beautiful man.

Of course, she would never tell him that in those words. It might hurt his precious masculine pride. She smiled at that.

He interrupted her reverie when he asked in a voice a few pitches lower than Bruce Wayne's, "Have you seen anything yet?"

"No."

"Keep on the lookout."

Diana rolled her eyes. Yes, the Justice League was at this function for more than one reason, as they'd gotten a tip that the newest rendition of the Injustice Gang planned to steal an extremely precious ancient Hindu relic from the museum, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy herself.

She wrapped her arms at a respectable distance around his neck, his silky dark hair tickling her hand. She itched so badly to run her fingers through it."I was. But then I went over to you, because I felt sorry for you."

He arched an eyebrow, barely able, she noted with satisfaction, to keep his genuine amusement off his face. "Sorry for me?"

"Yes," she replied seriously. "As those _vultures"_ she put a little extra venom than necessary- "descended upon you, I remembered that it is my duty to defend those who cannot defend themselves."

Bruce laughed then. A real laugh. It wasn't loud; in fact Diana would be surprised if anyone else in the near vicinity heard (except for perhaps Clark, who was also here under the guise of reporting). But it was real. Warm flutters erupted in her stomach, and she felt a silly sense of accomplishment for forcing the true Bruce to make an appearance.

Sort of pathetic of her, she mused. But still.

"I could have handled them," he said, his ice-blue eyes a little warmer than they had been before.

"Well, you weren't doing a very good job," she retorted. "They were hanging all over you. One would think you were a set of monkey bars."

Bruce chuckled again, quietly; and then delivered an extremely cliche line with only a hint of irony. "Do I detect a note of jealousy?"

Yes, actually. As silly and catty as it was, Diana had felt a twinge when she had heard what that woman whispered into Bruce's ear. Even knowing he would never take her up on it. She felt... jealous. Perhaps, a little bit possessive.

If her Amazon sisters knew about it, she thought glumly, there wouldn't be a need for her to be exiled; she'd be laughed right off the island.

When she didn't answer him for a minute or two, his eyes shuttered closed again; she'd missed her window. She felt a sense of regret. "The song is almost over," he said. "And I've acted out of character too long. Someone might be noticing." He leaned forward as he said this and skimmed his nose up the curve of her neck. "I'm being too forward. You should push me away now."

Diana heard the double meaning in that last sentence. She didn't want to do it. Doing it would give Bruce just another reason to hate himself.

She half-closed her eyes when his lips brushed her cheek. "But I'm enjoying it too much."

His lips stilled for a millisecond.

Diana suddenly felt his hand roughly grasp her backside.

It was more from shock and instinct than anything else when she bodily threw him away from her, him crashing into a nearby table of entrees, right at the exact time that a scream was heard on the other side of the ballroom.

**I love reviews! Just saying!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry, there's not a lot of BMWW interaction in this chapter. Hope you still find it entertaining! And if you like it, please leave a review! :)**

**DIANA POV**

Diana cast one last look at Bruce, who was lying half on-half off the table half-conscious (with a pinch of guilt she realized she must have thrown him harder than she thought in her shock) and his foot in a bowl of punch, before ripping her dress to allow for more movement and launching herself into the air. She heard murmurs and gasps of outrage from the higher society members at this move but didn't care.

She soared towards the source of the noise. A woman lay on the floor near the entrance to the hall, shaking in her rumpled dress and pointing. Diana recognized her to be Mandi, Bruce's date. "I saw this... this thing in the hallway!" she shrieked. "It looked like a huge ape!"

Diana quickly ran through villians that might fit that description. Grodd or Ultra Humanite were likely candidates. "Stay calm," she told the woman. "Where did he go?"

Mandi pointed. "That way!" Down the hallway to the rooms where the relic was kept. Good. J'onn was stationed there, and should be able to deter whoever was coming. As she flew in pursuit she said into her com-link: "Wonder Woman to J'onn. Someone or something is coming your way. Get ready."

All she heard was static. Her heart pounded. Could the ape have gotten there that quickly? "J'onn? Can you hear me?"

Nothing.

She ripped open the door to the room, ignoring the blaring alarms. Her eyes immediately sought out the relic.

It was gone.

Diana gritted her teeth in frustration. She looked for J'onn, scanning the room, and eventually found him, unconscious and bound by a thick material she couldn't identify, on the floor in the corner. "J'onn!" she cried.

She heard someone enter the room. "What happened to him, Diana?" asked Superman, the concern evident in his voice and his expression.

"I don't know," Diana said, cradling J'onn's head. "I thought this was all going so well... and the relic is gone too."

Superman was all business. He started to scan, using his X-Ray vision to look through the walls of the building. After a moment, he inhaled sharply. "They're already outside! And they've got the relic!" He looked around. "Where's Batman? We could use his help."

Diana, despite all the unfortunate events of tonight, found herself smiling guiltily. "I may have hit him... and harder than I thought."

Superman looked awkward for a moment, then shook his head. "Never mind. Let's try and catch them before they get away."

The two of them flew out.

**BRUCE POV**

Bruce came to a minute after he crashed into the punch bowl to complete panic in the room and a splitting headache. He groaned; she hadn't thrown him very hard, but his head had hit the edge of the table by chance. He glanced down at himself. Well, his food-splattered tux was completely ruined, and his shoes were beyond repair having been soaked in punch. Alfred would have a coronary.

He brushed some pastries off his chest and stood in the midst of the chaos. People were running and screaming, primarily out the front doors. He singled out the problem right away.

Clayface was in the room.

No one was running and screaming from _him_, but they should have been. Clayface's ability to transform into other people was one of his most dangerous.

Bruce only recognized him because he knew his date's mannerisms. And the _true_ Randi- Mandi- would never have let her dress rumple in the way that Clayface had.

Bruce mentally calculated how long it would take to don his cape and cowl, but knew it would likely be too late. The priority was to stop the theft. Mandi/Clayface was already starting towards the doors. He made an executive decision.

He half-ran across the ballroom- no one noted this extremely out of character behaviour in the chaos- and placed a hand on Mandi/Clayface's shoulder just as the villian was leaving the ballroom.

"Hey, Mandi babe," he slurred, stumbling into her. Him. It. Whatever pronoun Clayface referred to himself as when he genderbended.

Mandi/Clayface just looked at him, unsure of how to respond.

"Stay for a while," he breathed, slinging and arm around her shoulder. "It'll be worth it, trust me."

Bruce could tell that Clayface was getting twitchy with the delay in his escape. "Do you not notice what's going on right now?" Mandi/Clayface shrilled. "Do you really think this is the right time to be talking about this?"

Bruce smiled to himself. Now _that_ was something the real Mandi would say. All though, the bimbo tone was a little overdone. "Definitely, Sandi," he said with a smile that was far too wide to be sober. "Need a friend for the end of the world?" He winked.

Bruce knew it required Clayface intense concentration to keep a human form and decided to capitalize on it. His only hope was to delay Clayface until one of the others came.

Internally making a face at what he was about to do, Bruce leaned in and kissed Mandi/Clayface on the mouth. His hands found their way to grope Mandi's... assets.

Done simultaneously, the shock and probably also knowing he was being kissed by another man took Clayface out of his concentration. Mandi's chest felt goopy suddenly.

Bruce tore his face away and looked in practiced horror at the face in front of him- Mandi's, yet not Mandi's. It looked like candle wax, drooping and distorting her features.

Bruce gave a very loud yell and jumped away, attracting attention. People nearby noticed Clayface and new screams joined the already chaotic noise in the hall.

There, thought Bruce with satisfaction.

Just then, with perfect timing, J'onn materialized inside the room. He saw Bruce. Bruce gave a very minute nod towards Clayface. As in, _Do the honours_.

J'onn complied.

As the two shapeshifters squared off in the middle of the hall, Bruce ducked into the washroom and flipped open his phone. "Alfred? I'm going to need my change of clothes..."

A few minutes later, all the guests were gone from the hall, having fled the scene. J'onn was having difficulty containing Clayface. Every time he threw a punch, Clayface would just absorb it.

Batman, now hanging from the rafters, thought as loudly as he could: _J'onn! Stand back!_

J'onn didn't question his order, but immediately fell back. Clayface took the opportunity to glide to the entrance in a bid to get away.

Batman dropped a blue canister from the ceiling, which hit Clayface in the back and shrouded him in mist. Clayface's last yell was that of extreme contempt: "_Batman._.."

Batman dropped to the floor silently with J'onn joining him at his side. The mist cleared to reveal Clayface, his face-like visage twisted in a scowl, now frozen entirely in ice.

"Liquid nitrogen," Batman explained when J'onn gave him a questioning look.

"He's... done?"

"For now."

Superman and Diana entered the room just then. Batman noted that Diana's dress was completely ruined. A shame.

"What happened?" gasped Diana, looking up at the small mountain of ice behind J'onn.

"New decoration," Batman said. "Let's compare notes."

_~Later~_

In the Watchtower, the seven founders sat at the meeting table, pondering the events of that night.

"So," Flash said. "Just to get this straight. This relic we've been trying to protect was stolen from right under our nose?"

"They were ready for us, just as we were ready for them," Superman replied tightly.

Diana rubbed her face tiredly. "We thought that my publicly being there might deter them from trying anything, but..."

"So how exactly did they steal it with four of us stationed there at the same time?" John interrupted from beside Shayera.

"Distraction," Batman said darkly. "Mirror Master and a few others were there. They knocked out J'onn, took the relic long before we knew head or tail about it. They knew we were on high alert for them, so they sent Clayface in disguised as a woman at the ball to make a distraction so our attention would be called elsewhere, while they made a run for it."

There was a silence.

"So where do we go from here?" asked Shayera tentatively.

Flash leaned forward. "I _still_ don't understand -" a few sighs around the table at those words- "why this relic is so important."

Shayera finally spoke when no one else wanted to. "Let me make this easy, Flash," she said. "Extremely. Powerful. Dark. Magic."

"Ooh."

"We don't have much of a choice," said Superman, "except to keep doing what we've been doing these past several months, and try to hunt down their Society. We don't know how they plan to use it so we can only hope we'll be ready when they do."

**SOMEWHERE**

"Did you get the relic?"

Cheetah, the one delegated to speak, swallowed and replied to the one sitting in the shadows. "Yes." She held it out in her clawed hand.

"Everything went according to plan?" the voice asked softly.

"Nearly," Cheetah said. "Clayface was apprehended by the Justice League."

"No matter," the voice hissed. "He will be freed soon... The Justice League will find it very difficult to interrogate him without the risk of his escape."

Now Star Sapphire pitched in. "Now what?"

"Now?" The voice was amused. "Nothing just now. But soon we watch them burn..."


	3. Chapter 3

**DIANA POV- ONE MONTH LATER**

Diana pushed as hard as she could against Giganta's foot that was hovered over her head, but it wouldn't budge. "Hera... give me strength!" she grunted, and finally managed to push it off and Giganta off-balance. Giganta naturally went crashing into the nearest warehouse building. Diana inwardly cringed.

"Wonder Woman! Behind you!"

Diana turned at the last second, just in time to see someone pointing a gun her way. She dodged and flew forward, sending a grateful smile at B'wana Beast who had issued the warning.

The mission was going as well as one could expect. A very public abduction of civilians by a masked group of men in Ivy Town had caused the Justice League to send down a small team led by herself and Batman (who was nowhere to be seen at the moment): B'wana Beast, Red Tornado and Black Canary. Of course, matters had been complicated when Giganta coincidentally showed up. Diana and B'wana Beast were left dealing with the fight they hadn't bargained for while the others sought the abductors.

She used her bracelets to deflect the rest of the bullets, until the gun-toting man was left with a series of empty clicks; as she flew towards him, he then threw the gun to the side and raised his fists. She socked him in the chin.

"Giganta's accounted for, ma'am," chirped B'wana Beast from behind her. "She's out cold."

Diana dusted off her hands. "Good. Let's find what we came here for."

The crowd of civilians that had gathered to watch parted when Diana stormed through their midst. They saw that look. She was a woman with a mission and a promise in her eyes. A promise that there was hell to pay for those who had caused this.

She ripped the door of the warehouse off its hinges, just in time for a thug to come sailing through it and land, skidding, several feet out. He did not stir.

Batman stood in the midst of twenty or thirty bodies lying in the room, adjusting his gauntlets casually.

Diana's anger drained away, only to be replaced with amusement. "Well done, Batman." She didn't expect a response and didn't get one. He was the Bat right now, and the Bat didn't do friendly. She didn't mind- she was fond of _all_ his personalities.

"Where's Tornado and Canary?" B'wana asked, gingerly stepping over a man's head as he entered the building. Batman turned towards a set of stairs in the corner Diana hadn't noticed.

"Upstairs, retrieving the prisoners," Batman replied over his shoulder as he swept up the stairs. Diana followed after issuing a direction to B'wana to get the would-be abductors tied up and ready for pick up by the police.

At the top, she nearly bumped into his back because he'd stopped. "Batman...?" she asked, questioning.

He didn't say anything, but she saw the almost imperceptible tensing of his shoulders when another, accented, feminine voice whispered: "_Beloved_..."

**BRUCE POV**

Batman watched, too shocked to do anything else, as Talia Al Ghul stood up from the huddle of prisoners. She was gorgeous as always, even though she looked quite worse for wear. Her clothes were torn, her body bruised badly. She was covered with crusted blood.

And yet, she still walked with that seductive way that she always had, her eyes half-lidded as they pinned him down...

Batman shut down that train of thought.

Talia sashayed over to him, standing a little closer than what might be considered normal. "_Beloved_," she sighed again, sweeping her bangs away from her eyes, "It has been too long."

Diana cleared her throat.

Talia's eyes glanced away from Batman then, and gave Diana a dismissive once-over. She turned her attention back to him and opened her mouth. "B-"

Fearing what she might say in front of all these people, he cut her off harshly, "Not here, Talia."

He saw Diana look at him curiously from his peripheral vision. She wasn't the only one. Black Canary and Red Tornado, who had been helping up the abductees, also had their attention on them. Hell, even the abductees wanted to know why one of their group seemed to know Batman personally.

He had to make sure they never knew the answer. His persona was all about mystique, after all.

He came to quick decision and turned to Diana. "I'm taking this one with me." He grabbed Talia's arm and made to walk out.

He had only gotten three steps dragging Talia when he found his way blocked by Diana, hands on her hips. Her full lips were pursed and her expression stony.

"Not so fast, Batman," she said authoritatively. "You can't just run off with a civilian -"

"She's not a civilian," replied Batman, his voice tinged with amusement at the very thought.

"Then who is she?" Diana demanded. "And before you say it's not my business, it is. This"- she waved her hand around at the general situation- "Is League business. And that means _she's_ League business, too." She stabbed a finger in Talia's direction. "And if you're going to _interrogate_ her-" she was smart, but Batman had always known that- "then we must be present."

Batman saw the fierce glint in her ocean-blue eyes and knew she wouldn't let him go without an explanation. One of the simultaneously greatest and worst things about Diana was that she was just about as stubborn as him.

She was also one of the only people that could get him to change his mind.

"I'm taking her to the Metro Tower," he said finally in a very low tone. The Batcave, his home ground, was always the best place to interrogate someone he personally knew; but he didn't want to waste time bickering with the Justice League. He just wanted some answers from Talia, and that wouldn't happen until he'd put on a show of interrogating her for them.

Diana seemed confused at his relenting- her posture slackened for a moment, and Batman took the opportunity to sweep past her. In his well hidden haste, hee almost- _almost_\- missed seeing Talia wink at Diana, and her glare in response, from the corner of his eye.

He wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

A/N**\- I dislike Talia. Just want to put that out there. Anyway I would love to hear your thoughts, reviews are very appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

**DIANA POV**

_Beloved_?

The word made Diana want to laugh in amusement and, simultaneously, punch something in unexplainable rage. Preferably that woman's face. But that would have to wait.

After she let Batman leave, she turned to the others. "Let's get you all back to your families," Diana said to the former captives, with the gentleness she was known for. They looked reassured.

She and B'wana Beast helped escort them out while Black Canary and Red Tornado cleaned up the mess of unconscious bodies downstairs.

Diana felt rather than saw B'wana shoot her furtive glances as they went back in to help Canary and Tornado. Finally she could stand it no longer, turned to her colleague and asked, as business-like as possible, "What?"

B'wana looked a little taken aback at being caught, but recovered quickly. "Who _was_ that lady?" he asked, as he hefted a thug over his shoulder in a fireman lift.

Diana scooped up the last couple of them and started to walk out. "I wish I knew."

B'wana looked even more surprised at this. "Oh... I thought you would," he muttered. If Diana hadn't had excellent hearing she might not have heard this last comment.

With a little more force than necessary, she dumped the thugs she'd been holding at the feet of one of the policemen who had arrived at the scene and nodded to him respectfully, to which he immediately replied in kind.

"Why?" she asked B'wana a minute later, as they requested transportation from the Watchtower.

"Why what?"

"Why do you think I would know?"

B'wana looked a little awkward at this. "Well..." He scratched the back of his head, uncomfortably, in thought. "You and Batman are both founders, and I thought you were all tight." She could tell from the slow way he spoke that he chose his words carefully.

"Tight?" Diana repeated, unsure of the social context.

B'wana was saved from answering when Diana's com-link activated in her ear. "Wonder Woman?" asked Mr. Terrific's voice. "Transport to Watchtower?"

"To the Metro Tower, if you could," Diana corrected.

"Stand by."

The last she saw of B'wana was his long exhalation of breath.

And then she was in the Metro Tower, searching for Batman. After asking around, she found out what level he was on, and what room. A conference room. Not exactly a typical place for an interrogation, Diana mused, but then again, Batman's techniques had never had to be called into question before.

The door was locked. "Override. Wonder Woman." It slid open with a hiss, and she stepped inside.

This did not really look like an interrogation. The woman stood in front of him, had her hand on Batman's arm and was far too close. "It is strange," she was murmuring as Diana came in. "You reject the Lazarus Pits, yet you are just as handsome as the day I first met you," her hand trailed down his arm, "Maybe more."

Diana was surprised that Batman didn't immediately grab her hand and put her into an armlock or something like that. In fact, he wasn't doing much of anything. He just stood there, silent. Diana knew that he knew she was there, although he hadn't reacted in any physical way.

Diana decided to intervene at this point. "What's going on, Batman?"

"Leave us," the woman- Diana remembered Batman had called her Talia- replied dismissively, her eyes not leaving Batman's face for even a moment. "Why do you work with these tiresome people, beloved?" He just stared her down in response.

Diana put her hands on her hips and stepped into Batman's line of sight. "What, is _she_ conducting the interrogation now?"

"This is not an interrogation," Talia said scornfully. "This is _personal_."

Batman finally spoke, his voice pointing to the contrary. "Why is the League of Assassins trying to kill you, Talia?"

Talia removed her hand from his arm at the cold tone he used. She actually looked offended. "Is that how you usually greet your past lovers?"

Diana had suspected- She knew Bruce wasn't a saint by any means- but she still felt her stomach drop for a moment.

"No, only the ones that point a gun in my face when I try to take in an international terrorist," Batman retorted. There was clearly a sordid history here, Diana thought.

"That was my _father_!" Talia said loudly. Then she seemed to gain control over her voice again. "No matter. No matter our differences in the past. I split ways with my father some time ago."

Batman crossed his arms. "I'm going to ask you again," he said flatly. "I recognized the men I was fighting. They were Ra's Al Ghul's men. Why were they after you?" Diana recognized the name Ra's Al Ghul, probably from a case file. She made a note to look him up.

Talia, Diana noted with some satisfaction, seemed to realize at this point she wasn't getting any favouritism from the Batman, and stepped away from him. "_You_ are the detective," she said bitterly, turning to sit on the conference table. Diana finally got a better look at her. She had straight brown hair that cascaded over one side of her face, a feminine, petite pointed chin, and a long, graceful looking body that Diana could see even under the blood and dirt. She was quite beautiful.

Batman pointed one of his infamous Glares at Talia. She sighed. "Because I split ways with my father, he was angry and sent them to kill me. They cornered me there and I was beaten." She paused for effect before continuing. "It was cowardly of me, but I played dead. They thought I was dead. My father too. And then you came."

"I suspected as much," said Batman. "Why did you leave your father?"

Talia cleared her throat. "You were right about my father," she said quietly. "His cause was noble. Is noble. But his ways of achieving those ends are becoming more extreme by the day. I fear the Lazarus Pits are finally taking a serious toll on his mind."

There was a pause. Then Batman said, quietly, "How are your injuries?"

Talia seemed to bask in his attention, but waved her hand dismissively as a show. "It is nothing. A few shallow stab wounds is the worst of it." Diana was surprised she was still standing, then.

"Maybe we should take her to the infirmary," Diana suggested, not liking the softening look on Batman's face.

"Not necessary," he replied without looking at her. Diana found that he did that quite often lately- didn't look at her when he talked. "I hope the _interrogation_" he put emphasis on the word, "was satisfactory. I'm taking her with me now."

His tone left no room for argument; she wasn't getting anything from him right now. "Alright. But we _are_ discussing this with the rest of the League later."

Batman didn't acknowledge the comment but swept towards the door. "Let's go, Talia."

Talia hopped off the desk with a surprising amount of energy for a person who had nearly been beaten to death a few hours ago.

She glanced at Diana again. "Coming, Beloved," she called, staring at Diana while she said this. The way that she said _Beloved_ was almost reminiscent to Diana of an animal marking territory. _He's mine_.

Diana stared stoically back. She would not be reduced to the petty games this woman played. She held Talia's gaze until Talia finally slunk out of the room.

**BATMAN POV**

As soon as Batman's jet landed in the Batcave and they had gotten out, he turned to her. "Tell me what's really going on."

His pseudo-interogation had been a success, and the guise to bring Talia to the cave for tending to her injuries, a ruse to get the League off his back. Better they keep out of his business. Better he keep Diana out of his personal world. It was far too dark and twisted for a such a woman as her.

Unlike her, he and Talia thrived in the dark.

"That _is_ what is going on," Talia replied calmly, as she gingerly lowered herself onto the examination table and winced. Now that she was away from everyone else, she allowed herself to show weakness.

Bruce finally pulled off his cowl and ran a hand through his hair. "And why should I believe you?"

Talia watched him with half-lidded eyes. "Beloved..." she sighed, more defeated than anything else. "Is it not within you to believe any longer?"

_What if she's telling the truth_? the tiny, naive vestige of a heart Bruce had left in his chest asked. He attempted to ignore it. The damn thing always landed him in trouble in the end. Besides, his logical side told him something else was afoot here. Not everything in her story added up.

"Master Bruce?" a voice called from the top of the stairs leading up from the Batcave. "Shall I bring down the medical supplies now, or did you _not_ go on patrol yet this evening?"

Bruce internally rolled his eyes. "Hilarious, Alfred." He looked at Talia, clutching her side in obvious pain. "But you could bring down those medical supplies anyway. We've got a guest."

There was a pause in which Alfred peered down through the darkness. "Oh, _my_." His tone communicated more than his words; he knew all about his history with Talia. "Shall I ready a room as well, sir?"

Bruce nodded and Alfred disappeared back into the manor.

"I do not understand why you allow your servant to disrespect you so," Talia said scornfully.

Bruce felt a slight prick of irritation but didn't show it in his demeanour outwardly. "Afred is not my servant."

Talia scoffed and they sat in silence until Alfred came down with the supplies and a plate of finger foods.

"You can just set them down there, Alfred," said Bruce, making eye contact with his surrogate father. _I can handle this_.

"Will that be all, sir?" Alfred asked dryly in response. _Are you sure_?

Bruce nodded.

Bruce proceeded to help Talia dress her wounds with the brisk, impersonal efficiency of a doctor. He was keenly aware of her eyes boring into him, waiting for him to make eye contact with her so she could ensnare him.

But Bruce had learned his lesson. He was not meant for love. Only manipulation, at its hands. And all the women he'd ever cared for had twisted him to meet their own ends in some way or another.

Well, except the one... But he didn't want to think about her.

He abruptly stood after he was done and pulled his cowl back on. "I'm going on patrol. Alfred will see you to a room to stay in. We'll talk later."

He leaned in close to her face then. He heard her sharp intake of breath at his closeness. "And Talia?"

"Yes, Beloved?"

"Don't try anything."

**A/N: Thanks for sticking with this story! Leave a review if you likey! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**THREE WEEKS LATER**

**DIANA POV**

Superman folded his arms and stared at Batman from across the Founder's table. "You're a hard man to get a hold of."

"You're just figuring that out now?" replied Batman with a touch of wryness to his voice. Diana relaxed at his tone- maybe this conversation wouldn't have to be as tense as she'd imagined. They had already gotten through the rest of the agenda of today's meeting- including the matter of the mysterious disappearance of the container's containing Clayface-, and had left the hardest thing for last.

"We wanted to have this discussion a lot earlier than this," she spoke up. "Tell us about this Talia. Who is she?"

"And what is going on?" added GL. They had all been debriefed before this about what had taken place and all had agreed that Batman needed to give them some answers. Diana and Superman had done some research through the databases about Talia and Ra's Al Ghul, but they wanted to hear firsthand what Batman would say.

What little of Batman's handsome face that was visible hardened. He didn't take well to orders and demands. "It's none of your business."

J'onn sighed. "Batman, it has become League business. You must try to understand that."

Diana shot a furtive look at J'onn. _Did you look into his mind?_

_I try not to pry_, J'onn thought back to her, his inner voice sounding a bit guilty, _But his mental barriers... They are usually quite formidable, but today he has strengthened them even more. I cannot help but hear from his mind the message he is using to try to block me out_.

_Which is what_? Diana asked, curious.

_I am not sure... It is a fast-paced song in Korean that I have heard before, I believe_.

J'onn sounded almost annoyed, Diana mused.

_It is rather irritating, yes_.

Diana smiled to herself. Batman _would_ know how exactly to push even the ever-calm Martian's buttons. She tuned back in to the conversation at the table.

"I don't understand," Shayera was saying. "The Al Ghuls are your enemies, in fact you're all hostile towards Ra's Al Ghul according to League files, and yet you're, what, sleeping with his daughter?"

Batman gave her a bland look, like _Don't even go there_. "It's complicated."

"So tell us," Superman said, exasperated.

Batman looked up at him, the anger deeply etched into his scowl. "No. I don't need to tell you anything. You've already all done your research on this, so why do you need to question me?"

"It's League b-" GL began. Batman cut him off.

"No. It's not. You already know about the League of Assassins and everything that pertains to Ra's. _That_ was, perhaps, League business. Now you're just questioning me on why I brought someone to my house." He stood. "And that's personal. Stay out of it."

"Bruce! Wait!" Diana called, using his other name out of instinct. He paid no heed; a moment later he had swept silently out of the conference room.

Flash, who had been uncharacteristically untalkative until this moment, exhaled a breath noisily. "Well, _that_ went well."

"He doesn't trust us," GL said. "After all that we've all been through together, he still doesn't trust us."

There was a silence.

Diana wasn't sure about that. He had trusted them with his life on more than one occasion. There had been a doubt at the start, perhaps, but over the years he had proved himself time and time again to be capable of being a team player.

"Eh," said Flash with a shrug. "It's Bats we're talking about here. He doesn't trust anyone."

"But he might be right," Shayera argued. "Maybe what we were asking him to tell us was a little too much of a breach of privacy."

"It was important, though," Superman said, leaning his elbows on the table and running a hand through his hair. "Bru- Batman has his weaknesses." (Flash snorted at this.) "We know Ra's Al Ghul and his daughter have found them before. It could happen again. This was justified."

There were a few murmurs of assent around the table. Diana remained silent. She just didn't know what to think about Batman. This was alarming thing to realize at this point, especially since she was also rather sure she loved him, to some extent at least.

**BATMAN POV**

Bruce sat at the Batcomputer, staring straight ahead while rapidly typing up tonight's report and stewing. He was furious. They kept trying to butt in. Them against him, while Diana and J'onn, judging by their postures, had had their own private meeting. How many times had he told them to stay out of his way? Did he not send enough signals to them- to everyone- to Diana- that he wanted to be left alone?

"Is something up with the old man?" he heard Tim quietly ask Alfred behind him in the Cave somewhere. "Besides the stuff with his crazy ex-girlfriend, I mean?"

"I wish I could tell you, Master Tim," replied Alfred. "And might I remind you that the 'crazy ex girlfriend' you speak of is in the manor right now, so it would be prudent to mind your manners."

"Right," Tim whispered. "Man, I wish Bruce would get with someone _sane_ for once."

They _knew_ he could hear them. He was certain they were baiting him. He gritted his teeth, but didn't say a thing or pause in his typing. Bruce _did_ want to get with someone sane. But Batman would never allow that.

Diana would distract from the mission.

No she wouldn't! that pesky heart still existing within him cried. She'd never before, and even as his feelings grew for her, he'd never been more capable of doing his job.

Bruce was not stupid. He knew he cared for her far more than a colleague should. But he didn't want to examine to what depth that feeling went. He couldn't help it, no matter how much he acted brusque with her or tried to avoid her. She had awoken a longing in him. A feeling of hope that only _she_ could inspire.

He was forever struggling against it, and it didn't help that, inexplicably, Diana felt the same way. What she saw in him, he didn't know.

But he did know what they felt was dangerous. For both of them. He would inevitably break her. Because he- everything that he was- was nothing but darkness. And he would never want to inflict that sort of pain on someone so bright, so pure, so filled with light and happiness, as Diana.

He was so fixated on his inner torment that he almost didn't notice when Tim walked up behind him and said, "Bruce, why are you looking through petty theft cases from four years ago?"

**SOMEWHERE**

"It's time."

"For what?"

"The fall of Titans."

"But... only the Founders?"

"They are the glue that holds them together. Without them, the League is nothing. And without _him_, they are nothing."

**A/N: Yes, the song J'onn heard was Gangnam Style. Lol.**

**To all my readers, even you silent ones, I want to thank you for following the story thus far. We're moving into the next stage of the story now. Exciting stuff. Anyways, I probably haven't said this before, but I _mildly_ enjoy reviews sometimes. :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: It's tiiiiime. Time for the sh*tstorm to begin. Which is below, for your enjoyment. Every Founder of the League gets their own part! Yay! Although some of their parts are longer than others! Because I'm discriminatory! (JK- it just happened that way organically.) All their parts happen at roughly around the same time. I hope you like- I'm not that great at action scenes but I'm trying my best.**

**METROPOLIS**

Clark Kent was late for work.

Swearing quietly to himself (something he rarely did, even in the heat of battle), he fished underneath the bed for his tie but couldn't for the life of him find it. His X-Ray vision wasn't helping either. He was beginning to think the damn thing wasn't even in his apartment.

His phone buzzed. Distracted, he glanced down at it. A text from Diana, under a code name. It was how they communicated outside of League business.

_Did you talk to B_? the display read. Clark sighed. It had been a week since the awkward meeting that Batman had stormed out of.

_No, I haven't talked to the rodent_. Clark texted back. _I'm late for work_. _Can't talk._

_Sorry_, Diana's reply read. That was all.

Clark gave up on the tie and was just about to head out of the apartment when he realized he hadn't turned off the TV. He ran back in and reached for the remote.

"... He will not listen to the police," the reporter on TV was saying. "He says he will only listen to Superman."

Clark froze with his hand on the remote. The camera on screen zoomed in to a man on top of a very tall building, waving a gun around- at himself.

"Why this man wants to speak with Superman during his suicide attempt is unknown," the grim-looking reporter continued. "Will Superman show up to save this man, in a way he has never had to save a person before? That's the question we're all asking."

Clark was already gone to provide the answer.

**CENTRAL CITY**

Flash was on a train.

"Unmarked bills; he's trying to take them," the guard was saying as Flash untied them. "It's Mirror Master."

Flash knew that wasn't what Mirror Master was after. It was bait for him, all of it. "I'll get him," Flash said gravely. He zoomed into the next compartment.

"Hello, Flash," said Mirror Master, decked out in his usual goggles and yellow costume. He'd obviously been waiting for him. Beside him stood a box draped in a black cloth.

Flash gritted his teeth. "What's in the box?'

"A dead grandma."

Flash's eyes widened. "How sick are y-"

"Relax. She's not dead yet." Mirror Master smirked. "I get ahead of myself sometimes."

Flash felt himself channelling the Batman as he clenched his fists. "Talk."

Mirror Master pulled the black cloth off, revealing a clear box with an old woman unconscious inside. His hand reached a button on the box faster than Flash's mind could process, and by the time Flash got across the ten foot distance to grab his wrist, he'd already pushed the button. "This button has started a countdown. When it's up in sixty seconds, the woman inside will die. Or you can reach your hand inside" He pointed to a conveniently placed hole at the top of the box- "and open it to let her out."

Flash frowned. "It's a trap."

Mirror Master smiled again enigmatically. "Probably. Are you willing to take that chance?"

Flash spent three precious seconds debating. Then he decided. "When I free her," Flash grumbled as he put his hand inside and began to quickly spin the lock on the ceiling of the box, "I'm gonna take your goggles and shove them _so far up your_\- Aaagh!"

With his cry of pain he withdrew his hand. Agony pulsed through his wrist- a device of some kind that had been lurking in the box unseen was now attached- no, _driven through_\- his wrist. The women in the box suddenly disappeared- one of Mirror Master's tricks, she'd been an illusion all along.

"Careful there," Mirror Master said in that amused way of a parent watching their toddler harmlessly trip over the carpet, "It's bolted through your wrist. It's a bomb, and it's going to go off in thirty seconds." He paused for effect. "You can play the hero and run off to the desert to let it go off... but know this, once you start running, you can't decelerate or..."

"It'll explode," Flash finished, his worst fear coming true when his opponent nodded.

"Choose wisely, Flash," said Mirror Master calmly. "It doesn't matter to me, because I'm not really here anyways..." His body began to blur around the edges, and the trick of the light vanished.

Left alone in the train compartment, Flash let out a string of choice swear words.

**GATEWAY CITY**

Diana had nothing to do.

It was a quiet morning- No monitor duty, no missions, no public appearances to be made. So, she was touring the city.

It was a beautiful place, this Gateway City, she thought. The Themyscyrian embassy that she had been pushing for would find a nice home near the seaside here.

As she walked down the sidewalk she attracted a lot of stares. Even wearing a blond wig and large sunglasses, her beauty could not be contained. She despised it sometimes, the way it caused men to lust after her body and women to envy her rather than appreciate what they themselves had. Man's World had a way of being very shallow, with their judgment not going past the surface.

Of course, there were those who saw beyond that. Especially her friends on the Watchtower. That was where she truly felt comfortable.

And with Bruce, too. He had a way of looking at her that made her shiver; because she felt like his gaze went deep inside her, past all her outer beauty, and pierced her soul. He was one of the few men that did not look at her in a lecherous way the first time they met.

A scream interrupted her musings. She stopped and looked in the direction of the noise- to the docks.

Cheetah.

So much for a quiet morning. Diana ran in the opposite direction of everyone else, to the criminal that was now crouched on the railing of the docks after having taken out a few civilians. "Hello, Diana," she said with a cheeky grin, and although Diana was only halfway down the street, she still heard.

Diana ripped off her sunglasses and wig and turned on the spot to change into her Wonder Woman costume as she ran. "Cheetah," she snarled, coming to a halt a few feet in front of her enemy.

"What took you so long?" Cheetah said with a feral grin as she lounged on the railing.

Diana didn't ask. It was in her blood to fight; so she lunged.

**BROOKLYN**

John woke up in his cozy apartment. He didn't open his eyes- just listened for a few minutes to the sounds of birds and cars and people on the streets below him, and basked in it, this little window into a simpler life. Before he became Green Lantern. Before the Justice League. Before Shayera came along and drove him insane.

He sighed and opened his eyes.

He blinked a couple of times and opened his eyes again.

But all he saw was darkness. _He couldn't see a thing_.

He was... blind.

And if he was blind... so was his ring.

**CHINA**

"Happy birthday, John!" His coworkers exclaimed.

They were sitting in a small restaurant for dinner, his coworkers in the local police force, his wife, and himself, J'onn.

"Oh... how did you know?" he asked in what he hoped was a puzzled tone, while catching the mischievous eye of his wife.

"How do you think we knew, dum-dum?" laughed his colleague, seeing this. "I'm buying you a drink, John."

Amid much protest, the waitress was signaled, a young Chinese woman in her twenties who came with a drink. "Thank you," said J'onn graciously in Chinese. She nodded demurely and scurried off.

A whole round of drinks was ordered then, and soon enough everyone at the table was telling stories and laughing raucously. J'onn, however, was beginning to feel ill.

_What's wrong?_ his wife asked in her head.

_I am not feeling well,_ he replied. _I will go outside for some fresh air. Perhaps that will help_.

_Hope it's not that flu that's going around,_ his wife thought to him worriedly. _I'll come with you outside_.

He stood, and had to catch himself from swaying. He felt concerned eyes on him.

"What's wrong, John? Had a little too much to drink?" asked one of his friends.

"No," he replied. "I- I must use the restroom."

As he made his way around the tables, he felt the confusion in all their minds and one say, "...Then why is his wife going with him?"

Once he was outside, he leaned against the wall. His wife put her hand on his forehead.

"You're burning up," she exclaimed with surprise. "And you're sweating."

He was. Profusely. He pulled his sweater stickily away from his skin. His brow furrowed. "I... I do not understand what is happening."

"I do."

J'onn and his wife looked up. The pretty young waitress stood before them, but unlike before, there was a glimmer of malice in her eyes.

And now J'onn saw. Too late.

Too late he looked into the waitress' mind and saw that she was a shapeshifter- Clayface.

Too late he reacted to the lighter she flicked towards him.

Too late he realized, as he caught on fire immediately and heard his wife scream... magnesium.

Too late.

**PARIS**

"This looks like a tent," Shayera said scornfully to the store clerk. "People wear this? I can't believe this city is considered a fashion capital in this world."

"It's a new trend," the clerk said tentatively.

Shayera snorted unattractively and put the baggy sweater back on the rack. People all around the high-end store were staring at her. Shayera knew she struck an imposing figure, tall as she was... and oh yeah, with wings sprouting out of her back. Humans thought wings were weird, but Shayera had always thought humans looked weird with their plain... naked-looking backs. Like a head without a nose, a back without wings was just strange to her.

Shayera had no idea why she had indulged Vixen in letting her take her to Paris. She'd been tagging along the first few days, but today Vixen was at a Paris Fashion Week event that Shayera had had no interest in going to.

Probably a mistake not going to that. Hanging around critiquing humans' fashion choices likely wasn't helping her new and improved image as _not a traitor_.

Ignoring the people taking photos of her with their phones, she left the shop and made her way to a very wide, very open park.

"Aaah," she sighed, spreading her arms to the wide expanse of green space. Better yet, nobody was there at this hour of Monday morning. Her wings itched to take flight. Freedom.

She spotted something out of the corner of her eye as she walked. Curiosity got the better of her. She turned.

A flower.

But it wasn't just some ordinary flower. It was a flower she'd never seen before on earth... but one which had been quite common on Thanagar.

She gasped involuntarily- for a moment, didn't question how this was even a possible, but amidst the emotion of her loss of her home planet, broke into a run to touch it.

As she neared, her excitement dulled. It was nothing like a Thanagarian flower, not really. The petal texture was all wrong. She picked it up and examined it closely. Still, a clever fake.

It wasn't like anything on Earth, though, either. Which brought her to wonder, what was a flower that looked like it was from Thanagar coincidentally doing in the same park she was walking in?

At the same time she came to her conclusion, a mist of something sprayed directly out of the flower's petals. Shayera inhaled in involuntarily, then coughed. Her eyes watered.

Some sort of gas- it was a trap! she thought with horror as she dropped down to the grass, unable to move her limbs. Her vision wavered.

Suddenly, a steel box dropped down on top of her. She was encased in darkness.

She gasped, in her panic not bothering to wonder where such a thing could have come from in the sky. All her rationality as a detective fled her as she succumbed to her intense claustrophobia.

Her body could feel every wall of the box- And was it just her imagination, or were they slowly moving inwards?

She screamed.

**GOTHAM**

Bruce hadn't slept for two days.

It was becoming a norm, though, so Alfred didn't fret about it quite as much as he once did. When Batman got immersed in his work, he didn't leave it until it was finished.

Unless... something more important came along.

"Master Bruce," coughed Alfred.

Bruce didn't even turn his head, just kept typing on the Batcomputer. "What is it, Alfred?" he said, a little bit irritably. he was in the middle of a case- Arkham still hadn't recovered all of its inmates lost in a mass breakout months ago, and he was close to nailing Killer Croc in his newest lair. "I'm busy." If it was Talia- with whom he had been unsuccessful in getting more information, so they were now at a stalemate of sorts- calling for Bruce to get away from his work and join her, she was going to be severely disappointed.

"I would say this subject deserves your attention, sir."

Something about Alfred's tone gave Bruce pause. After rubbing his haggard jaw tiredly for a moment, he swiveled in his chair to face his surrogate father, who was clearly waiting for his full attention. "I'm listening," he said cautiously.

Alfred hesitated. Bruce's heart jumped at the non-action.

"Sir, it's about your parents..."

**A/N: Bit of a longer chapter than I had anticipated. I hope you're enjoying the festivities so far! Next two chapters should be fun, although if you've watched Justice League: Doom and/or read JLA Tower of Babel, you already know the gist of it. I know the pace here is a little brisk but I did it on purpose, because this isn't really the intended focus of the story- hope it's not too distracting. As you probably know by now, reviews are very appreciated!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This is more of a Bruce-ccentric chapter compared to the last one. No more all-Founder POV's. Alas! And as I said before, I'm a bit awkward with action-oriented scenes. Hope you enjoy anyway. **

**WATCHTOWER**

Green Arrow yawned. He hated Monitor Duty, and was starting to get the feeling that Batman purposely scheduled all his shifts whenever he had a date with Dinah planned.

That guy was nasty.

Oliver was ripped out of his fantasies of beating up Batman with a baseball bat when suddenly, the power went out. He was encased in darkness, and met with the silence of a hundred different machines' quiet whirring turning off all at once.

"This _would_ happen on my shift," he grumbled to himself. He touched his comm. "Green Arrow to Mr. Terrific."

No response, even when he repeated himself several times. He was actually going to have to get up.

Just as he did, Mr. Terrific, accompanied by a serious looking Fire, walked into the Monitor Womb.

"Watchtower systems are down," Mr. Terrific said grimly. "Communicators aren't working."

"_And_ we're in lockdown," added Fire in her heavy accent. "What are the chances?"

"Computer malfunction?" Oliver suggested hopefully.

"Highly doubtful," replied Mr. Terrific. "I wonder if it's happening to the Metro, too?" But they had no way of knowing.

"How long will it take to fix?" Oliver asked, finally. Dreading the answer.

"An hour at least, with the limited personnel we have aboard at the moment."

Oliver groaned. He was _so_ going to invest in a nice, titanium baseball bat.

**GOTHAM**

"No..." he whispered. But his eyes did not deceive him.

In front of him, in the midst of the graveyard that he had returned to so often, there lay...

Nothing.

Just holes in the ground, freshly dug up dirt spewing over the sides onto the grass. Coffins removed.

His parents were gone.

Bruce fell to his knees, unable to stop the agony from spreading over his features. "No," he whispered again. He put his head in his hands. The emotions that he usually kept faithfully buried with his parents were flooding to the surface, and he couldn't stop it, he couldn't control it, he couldn't control _himself_. "No."

So blinded he was by his emotion that he almost missed the sound of a near silent approach behind him until it was too late.

He was up in a flash, wheeling around at an almost inhuman speed. But it wasn't fast enough. The last thing he saw was a heavy flash of steel, before pain erupted in his head and he descended into the darkness.

**METROPOLIS**

"What's the point?" said the man on the rooftop with a hint of desperation to his voice. The gun was pressed to his head, his hand tightly fisted over the trigger.

"Trust me," Superman said calmly, floating some ways away from the man, who had threatened to pull the trigger if he so much as imagined Superman making a move. He still reckoned he might be fast enough to take the gun from him first, but he wasn't taking the chance just yet. "Life does get better."

"Easy for you to say," sneered the man. "You're the most powerful guy in the world, you've got a hot reporter girlfriend and everybody loves you."

"The grass is always greener on the other side," Superman said. He acknowledged to himself that he wasn't the best at this, but he was trying. Sudden inspiration struck him. "Maybe I'm not the best example. But I know a guy who has been through more hell in his life than most of us put together ever will. Most people don't understand how he finds the strength to keep going, but I think I understand. Just a glimmer of hope in your darkest times is enough to think, what if tomorrow will be better?" He cleared his throat. "And it will be. I promise."

The man seemed to waver in his resolve for a moment; his white knuckled grip loosened slightly. "You think?"

"Yeah," said Superman with a small smile, his confidence returning as his efforts were apparently not in vain. "I do."

"Then you're a damn fool." The man pointed his gun at Superman and shot him.

He fell.

**GATEWAY CITY**

"The rumours are right, Diana," Cheetah taunted, taking another swipe. "You _are_ getting slow."

Diana expertly dodged and executed a scissor kick to catch Cheetah's neck and use her momentum to slam her into the ground. "Rumours are hardly a reliable source to base your arrogance on, Cheetah."

Cheetah sprang up just as quickly with a snarl, and the two women engaged again in a flurry of deadly-looking punches and kicks. Cheetah finally managed to hit Diana on the side of her face, boxing her ear.

"But they usually hold a grain of truth," grinned Cheetah.

Blood dripping steadily down the side of her neck, Diana felt anger grip her. With a battle cry, she jumped again at her opponent, this time determined to take her down for the damaging of her Amazonian pride.

Her eyes felt a little bit blurry, but she fought on anyway. Did Cheetah have poison on her claws? she wondered. She banished the thought from her mind.

Cheetah, infuriatingly, twisted out of Diana's grip again and backflipped out of her line of sight. Growling, Diana wheeled around, only to stop short.

A crowd of Cheetahs stood before her, grinning ferally and sharpening their claws. The words they murmured were lost on Diana's ears.

Was this some trick? "Cheetah!" she yelled. "Where are you?"

"Here," all the dozens of Cheetahs replied distinctly.

Her heart beating at a wild pace, she scanned and decided she could take them down. She could.

But there were more.

**CHINA**

He was screaming, she was screaming, and there was laughter, tinkling softly in the background somewhere.

Pain. Pure, unadulterated agony ripped through him. Everything screamed. He felt himself stumbling, irrationally, thinking, _water, water, water_...

Foolish of him. Even as he fell over the railing and into the water, the fire that burned him was never more alive.

Unfinished thoughts flickered through his head. Poison... Sweated out... Magnesium... _Dying_...

But soon every coherent inkling of thought left him.

**GOTHAM**

He woke with a gasp.

It was completely dark, and Bruce couldn't see a thing. With a groan, he tried to get up.

Within two inches from lifting himself, his back hit the ceiling. All his breath left him as he collapsed back onto his stomach. He waited a minute, letting his eyes adjust to his surroundings. He was lying on a cushioned surface... But the wall right next to his head was wooden... and if he turned his head he could see the ceiling of the-

Casket.

He'd been buried alive. And judging by where he'd been knocked out, he'd been buried alive in his parents' grave.

Barring the fact that this was completely sick, at this point most people would have gone into a hysteria that would ultimately be their end- hyperventilation that would lead to a lack of oxygen that would lead to a slow, agonizing death of asphyxiation. Bruce knew this. Still, he felt the panic descend upon him, making his breath into short, rapid puffs of air. But he forced himself to calm down. He forced his fear and his roller coaster ride of other emotions deep, deep down below the surface. Batman was all about logic.

But even as his fear retreated, he felt a new feeling take its place and become dominant.

Rage.

And this was an emotion that Bruce was quite familiar with; one that he embraced, actually.

It was what made him reach into his pocket and withdraw his keys.

Put his keys between his knuckles and grit his teeth at the pain that was to come.

And punch the ceiling of this coffin.

He was not dying here. He was getting out to avenge this insult to his parents. And it was going to test his control. His face was a snarl of anger. It burned within him like whiskey, lighting every nerve on fire, so much so that he couldn't feel the slick pain that shot dully through him as his knuckles bled.

He made himself take deep, slow breaths as he continued hitting as hard as he could. Blood dripped down from his hand, running down his arm and splattering onto his face. But he didn't even notice- his vision was already a haze of red.

_~Sometime later~_

It was raining when Bruce finally staggered home.

Alfred answered the door, already looking haggard, and even more concerned when he took in Bruce's appearance. Blood was all over his suit, dying his shirt red, clothes rumpled and ripped, and his face was bruised and expression murderous. "Master B-?"

Bruce brushed past him. He heard Alfred follow closely. He had not allowed Alfred to drive him to the graveyard, preferring to see the sight of his parents' abandoned graves for himself.

Predictably, Bruce went down to the Batcave and sat down at the computer. He turned off the news channel that had been on, warning of several earthquakes in the Middle East, and pulled up the press release from his parents' deaths. "Master Bruce," Alfred called. "I will forgive you from telling me what happened only because a more pressing matter is at hand."

His charge looked at him, expression bleak for just a moment. "A _more_ pressing matter?" Alfred felt a pang of something in his chest, something like pity that he would rather not feel but couldn't help.

"Channel Five, sir," he said quietly.

Bruce tapped a few buttons on his computer, only to be met with a live news image of an unconscious Superman lying on his back in the middle of a Metropolis street. His back was the centre of a large crater in the road, surrounded by a dozen medics. "Emergency personnel are doing all that they can," the reporter was saying. "But nothing they have done seems to be effective. Meanwhile, the Man of Steel is not waking up. We can only hope and pray that he will stay alive long enough for someone" her voice lost its professional edge and was overcome by a desperate tinge- "_someone_ who will be able to help."

With difficulty, Bruce forced his concerns over his parents' missing bodies out of his head for the time being to focus on the newest challenge at hand. It had to be Kryptonite- the Boy Scout's great weakness was fairly well known in the criminal world. And nothing else would affect him like this. It wouldn't be too difficult of a matter to solve the issue, but Batman might not get to Metropolis in time to save him.

He made a decision and pressed another button on his computer. "Batman to Flash. Superman's in trouble. I need you to go to Star Labs and have them make a scalpel out of kryp-"

"I can't right now, Bats," said Flash through the comm; Bruce could hear him breathing a little more loudly than he usually would while he was running. "I'm in a bit of a fix myself."

"What?" asked Bruce, instantly alert. Three Leaguers attacked in one day could not be a coincidence.

Flash huffed, indignant even at his most perilous hour. "It's this stupid bomb drilled through my wrist. Mirror Master tricked me into getting it put on me. Batman, it's not a normal bomb. If I stop running-"

"It'll explode," Bruce guessed, a growing sense of dread rising within him.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Hold on, Flash," commanded Bruce, his keen mind working very fast. "Keep running. I'll get back in contact soon." He pressed another button without waiting for a response. First things first, selfish or not, he needed to see if _she_ was all right. "Batman to Wonder Woman."

He got no response, but he heard something more terrifying: a wild, out of control scream. The sounds of fists on flesh.

"Diana!" He was standing up in a flash, shouting her name, losing his composure in front of Alfred. He felt the urge to jump in the Batwing and fly to Gateway City right now. But he wasn't that selfish, not yet.

A sudden thought struck him. He got down on his knees and started scanning the Batcomputer's exterior with his hands. Alfred looked on with raised eyebrows until Bruce found what he was looking for: a tiny electronic bug, on the bottom side of his keyboard.

"Alfred," he barked. "Send for Talia. Right now." He had a feeling he knew exactly what was happening to his teammates, and with it a horrible realization was dawning over him.

"I'm afraid she isn't in the manor, sir-"

"Check. _Find her_."As his butler made a hasty exit, Bruce pressed another sequence of buttons on his keyboard. "Batman to J'onn."

He heard J'onn's agonized scream. Then, weakly: "Batman... Help me..."

"Stay with us, J'onn," Bruce commanded forcefully, as if his direction alone could keep his teammates alive.

"Batman to Green Lantern."

He heard scuffles. "Batman!" John's normally calm, controlled voice was panicked. "I've- I've gone blind. And I'm being attacked by people I can't even see. My ring isn't working!" John gave an anguished yell of pain.

This was something he could deal with right now. It would be too time-consuming to explain the post-hypnotic suggestion that had been given to him, so Bruce cut to the chase. "Your ring is only a tool of imagination," said Bruce harshly. "And an extension of your will. If you believe yourself to be blind, it will make it so. If you believe you can see, you will."

There was a silence on the other end of the line, broken only by some muffled hits and muted groans. John was still fighting, only blindly swinging his fists. "That's the stupidest thing I've _ever_ heard, and I go on frequent missions with the Flash," John said finally.

John appeared more calm now that he was speaking to him, Bruce couldn't help but notice. "Trust me."

He felt the hesitation in John- so much that it was palpable. But he also felt it when John got over his hang-ups enough to say, "All right."

Bruce cut the line immediately, knowing John would do it. The man didn't trust too easily, but when he did, he did it with his whole heart.

"Batman to Hawkgirl," he said next, not really expecting a coherent answer. He didn't get one.

He knew exactly what was happening to her. He tapped a few more buttons. The Watchtower was unresponsive. And his worst fears were confirmed.

"You called, Beloved?"

Bruce turned, feeling anger pulse through his veins. He held up the electronic bug he'd kept in his fist. "Want to explain this?"

Talia looked startled, then miserable. She turned her face away. "I'm sorry, Beloved," she whispered. She closed her eyes.

They flew open when Bruce grabbed her- hard- by the shoulders and got in her face. "You hacked my computer," he snarled. "Gave Ra'as my plans, didn't you? You betrayed me. Again."

Her mouth was a line of misery at this, and then suddenly her eyes sharpened as she took in his ragged appearance. "What happened to you?" she gasped.

"Oh, nothing," Bruce mocked her. "Just got buried alive in my parents' grave. By the League of Assassins, I'm guessing." He heard Alfred's sharp intake of breath but chose to ignore it. "I trusted you!" His voice came near cracking but he controlled it at the last second. "And now they're after the League... The whole league? Or the Founders? Tell me!" he snarled, and his face was a mask of hate that didn't need the cowl to look menacing.

"The- the founders," Talia stammered as he shook her. "But Beloved, he said- my father promised he wouldn't kill you! I don't understand!"

"And you believed him? I thought you were smart." He shook his head, disgusted, and let her go, roughly pushing her away from him.

Talia was the picture of regret. She hugged her own upper arms. She was no longer flirting, no longer trying to seduce. She suddenly looked like a very lost woman; a very lost woman torn in two and forever struggling. Just like him. In that moment when he saw her as she truly was, for that fleeting moment, his heart took pity on her. His gaze must have softened, for she then said, "How cynical you have become in these years," she said, not accusing, just... sad. "I remember you used to be much less dark. Less forboding." She shook her head. "More trusting. More forgiving."

He clenched his fists, wanting to shout, to make her realize that manipulative people like her and her father _were_ the ones that had made him this way, hardened his shell and tucked away the real Bruce Wayne so far into the shadows that he wasn't even quite sure he existed anymore. Closing himself off was the only way he could _survive_\- not for himself, but for the people that needed Batman.

"Get out," he said finally, his voice no longer carrying the weight of barely restrained rage. He was surprised to find it sounded rather hollow. He felt utterly spent of emotion. "Get out of my house. I'll deal with you later." The threat hung emptily, lacking conviction.

He turned to Alfred, now ignoring Talia, who stood there, a single tear dripping down her face now. And his heart would break again over this betrayal, right after the urgent matters were done with, when he had time to torture himself with the knowledge. Right now he had to be strong. Maybe he could correct his mistakes before it was too late. "Alfred, ready the Batwing. The Justice League is under attack."

Alfred's tone was confused. "By who?"

As he went to put on his suit, Bruce thundered, "By me!"

**A/N: Spent a lot of time on this chapter. Wow that was super long. Anyway I love reviews! :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**BATMAN POV**

Batman was in the Batwing, flying at top speeds towards Gateway City. He pressed a button and Flash was on the line.

Now, Flash's breathing was distinctly ragged. "Batman?" he said, sounding tired. "I'm going to try something. I'll try and vibrate-"

"No!" Batman cut him off harshly. "That won't work."

"How do you know?"

Batman didn't even dignify that question with a response. "Trust me. How far are you from an iceberg?"

"Uh, _not_," said Flash. "What, do you think if I run through one and abandon the bomb, that would slow it down enough?"

"Just," Batman replied. "But you have to be careful. One misstep and-"

"Kablooey. I get it." There was a sigh on the line. "Here goes."

Batman gripped his controls and listened to the static on the line for several tense moments. Then he heard Flash yelp, and the unmistakeable boom of a bomb going off.

His heart jumped. If Wally died, it was his fault, all his fault... "Flash!"

There was a pregnant pause, but the communicator continued to work. Finally, the Flash replied. "Yeah," he said, sounding out of breath and relieved. "I'm here. I'm alive."

"Good," said Batman, unable to keep a small amount of relief out of his voice. He hardened it instantly. "Now get up and listen carefully: I need you to go to Star Labs for that kryptonite scalpel. Superman's been shot."

"No way! But how-"

"No time to explain," Batman barked. "Get it done. While you're there pick up some aluminum oxide. Bring the scalpel to Metropolis, you'll find some medics with him at the scene, give them the scalpel. Then go to China-" he railed off the coordinates- "where you'll find J'onn being burned alive." He heard Flash gasp as he ran and chose to ignore it. "Inject him with the aluminum oxide. Then contact me." He switched off the link without waiting for a response and turned on another.

"Batman to Green Lantern."

"Yes," said John. "Everything's been taken care of. I can see; that stupid trick actually worked." Batman heard the disbelief and the underlying suspicion in John's voice.

"I figured it would." Batman paused, but John didn't say anything else. "Shayera's in trouble."

"What?!"

"She's in Paris, being forced to live out her worst nightmares in the middle of a park." He knew this situation without having even heard it from her. Because he had devised it. "Her vitals are spiraling out of control. Unless she gets the antidote soon, she will die from fear."

John sounded extremely panicked. "Well, where do I get this antidote?"

"Meet me at the Gateway City docks in five." He switched off the link and could only hope he had correctly calculated how long Shayera's strength would last.

When he landed in Gateway City, he could immediately tell something was wrong. People were running, screaming, from something. Only because he had done this did he know what they were scared of.

Diana.

And then he saw her, his beautiful, strong Diana; gazing at the world through wild eyes, her posture suggesting something far beyond mere exhaustion. She was _dead_ tired.

He knew what she was seeing right now. Because of a piece of nano-tech planted in her ear, she was seeing every person as a version of an enemy. And because of Diana's unwillingness to back down from a fight, she was trying to take them all down.

This could go on forever; Diana beating up hundreds of harmless civilians, getting increasingly more panicked, and finally collapsing and theoretically, dying from exhaustion. Because while she was alive, she would never stop fighting.

He admitted to himself that they were not so unlike each other.

He quietly descended upon the scene just as he saw Green Lantern descend from the sky. He would have to deal with him first.

By his estimates, she was not yet at the point of death yet. But as he watched her throw a police car at a group of terrified civilians, he acknowledged he didn't want to let it get that far.

John was alarmed. "What's Diana doing?"

Without even looking at John, he pressed the antidote to the concentrated form of Scarecrow's fear gas into his hand. "I'm handling it. Administer this to Shayera," he said, and then once again railed off a list of coordinates. He didn't need to tell John twice; the ex-marine felt the urgency of the situation and didn't question the order.

Batman then turned his mind to the task at hand. He had to get close to Diana to take the nano-tech off her; but how to go about that? She would see him as an enemy, possibly try to kill him in her state.

"Oh my god, Batman?" asked a policeman hysterically, finally noticing Batman at his side for the first time. "You're real- I mean, you're _here_?" He seemed to get over that pretty quickly when Batman sent a diluted version of the BatGlare. "Wonder Woman's gone nuts. You gotta do something!"

Batman ignored him and walked calmly into Diana's line of sight ("What? No! That's not what I meant! She'll decimate you!" the policeman yelled frantically.).

Diana was panting in the middle of the clearing, her eyes darting everywhere. There were policemen and civilians completely surrounding the barriers the police had put in place, watching her fearfully.

What a bunch of idiots, Batman thought. Diana was attacking every person she saw. A barricade wasn't going to stop her. As Diana took a step towards a group of children near the front of the audience, his heart jumped. The only way to stop her from hurting more innocent civilians was to distract her with a new victim: Himself. He didn't have the luxury of time to think of a better strategy at the moment, but hoped that one presented itself in the heat of battle.

Yeah, he thought grimly, he was going to need Alfred's med kit by the time this was over.

"Wonder Woman!" he growled to get her attention. Her head whipped around, and her eyes narrowed on him. "Are you the real Cheetah?" she asked menacingly, advancing towards him. "Or are you another one of her clones?"

"And why would you think that?" he asked, stalling. One of his gloved hands slipped into his utility belt.

Diana circled him, coming in closer with each revolution. "You move with her predatory grace," she announced. "If I take you down, this will be over."

Denial, denial, denial. Such flawed logic. Batman would have tsked if Diana had brought this sort of stratagem up in a more casual environment.

She lunged at him without warning. Fortunately, he had not survived so long without quick reflexes, and dodged out of the way, throwing down a smoke bomb to impede her. He heard her growl in frustration.

He had to get her into some kind of hold to get her still enough to take that nano-tech out of her ear. He didn't want to antagonize her exhausted heart either, though, so he had to keep the fight low-key.

It was a hard balance to strike.

He jumped at her from behind, feet first into her back. On a human, this would have immediately planted them into the ground stomach-first. But Diana was a lot stronger; she staggered, almost falling to her knees, but then reached behind her and grabbed his legs.

Batman barely had the time to even think a curse word before she threw him bodily over her head. He somersaulted and managed to land on his feet, just in time to see her fist flying at him.

His head snapped back at her punch. _Wham_. Another into his stomach; he felt and heard a rib crack. He managed to dodge the next rapid fire blow by ducking; at the same time, he swept his leg under her feet, tripping her up. She fell to the ground. He kneed her in the stomach, wincing inwardly, but he knew that he wasn't strong enough to really hurt her. "Diana!" he shouted. "You're being tricked. I'm not Cheetah. None of these people are!"

Diana made no sign of even understanding what he had just said. She was up then, her beautiful eyes flashing with anger. She telegraphed and took another swing at him; he dodged easily. She was getting extremely sloppy. It was a telling thing of her condition. He executed a neat back kick, catching her in the chin. She staggered back, growling, and came at him again. He dodged to the side again deftly. And again. And again.

By now she was snarling, frustrated. Her chest heaved from the effort; Batman was actually amazed she was putting up such a fight at this point. "Diana," he said quietly. "It's me. It's Batman." She launched herself at him in response.

The more he evaded her, the more agitated she got; the more sloppy she got. At one point Batman got her into an arm lock and attempted to quickly reach into her outer ear. But she twisted out of his grip and punched- he swiveled out of the way and front kicked her away from him.

She staggered. He didn't have a choice anymore; he couldn't get her to hold still. He had to take her down, he realized.

As they parried across the neatly trimmed lawn, his blows got progressively harder; he used sneakier techniques. He threw everything he had in his utility belt at her; some Batarangs glanced harmlessly over her bracelets, while she missed others and got hit.

His hand closed on something else in his utility belt. A syringe carrying strong anesthetic, which he had been carrying for his next encounter with Killer Croc.

He hated the idea of using it on her, which was why he had refrained from doing so for this long. But then again, he had done _this_ to her, so what was one more heinous act in the grand scheme of things? he thought bitterly.

Inhumanly quick, and far too fast for the exhausted Diana to even follow, he had plunged the syringe right into her arm. Her eyes widened for a moment, then rolled back. He deftly plucked the offending piece of nano-tech out of her ear and crushed it as she sagged in his arms.

He looked down at her sleeping face, her eyebrows unfurrowed, her mouth untwisted from its snarl. The anesthetic would probably only keep a meta like her out for a minute or two, tops.

He was keenly aware of the people still standing around the perimeter watching curiously, so he forced himself to let go of her, and gently slid her body into the grass.

"I'm sorry, Diana," he muttered near her ear, then straightened. Pressed his comm-link. "Batman to Flash."

"Bats, you never told me how hard it is to get a Martian on fire to hold still," Flash lamented immediately. "You need to put a disclaimer in next time."

Batman rolled his eyes, something he would never do if he wasn't feeling so immensely relieved (Not that anyone could see it with his cowl). "And Superman?"

"Accounted for. According to the news, he's just woken up. And I heard from John- Shayera's a little shaken up, but she'll be fine- And I just got contact from Mr. Terrific. Apparently the Watchtower was down for a while?- Something about a bug in the system. but they just got everything up and running again."

"Good."

There was a silence. "Bats... What _happened_?"

Batman felt a certain amount of dread. He had known that this moment was coming but couldn't quite bring himself to say the truth right now. Besides, now that the immediate crisis was over, a different problem was taking over his mind: the mystery of his parents' bodies' location. "I have to get back to Gotham," he said at last, his tone leaving absolutely no room for argument. "We'll discuss this later." A meeting he had no intention of being at. He paused, unsure of whether to add anything else, and then finally said: "Rest up."

He cut the line. And looked down at Diana's unconscious body. The Watchtower communications system he had made extensive plans on how to dismantle would probably have been fixed by now; he would bring her up to the infirmary, and then he would make himself scarce. He couldn't look at her after this, after what he'd done to her. He disgusted himself.

He picked up her body gently to request transport.

**A/N: Duh duh duhhh. So excited, I've got a ton of stuff planned. I know there hasn't been a real ton of BMWW romance and I'm sorry, but it's not working itself in organically into the action at this point. Promise though, it'll come later! R &amp; R guys!**


	9. Chapter 9

**DIANA POV**

She woke up with a gasp.

The heart monitor beside her started beeping rapidly as she took in her surroundings (The Watchtower infirmary), utterly confused. She struggled to remember what had happened.

I was in Gateway City, she thought. And then Cheetah... Something had happened. Cheetah had drugged her?

Diana leaped off the bed and ripped the IV out of her arm. It was then that she noticed J'onn on the bed beside hers, and next to his, Shayera's unconscious body. Before she could draw a conclusion from this, the door opened.

"Diana. You're awake." Superman sounded exhausted, and he didn't look too good himself.

"Kal," she said, feeling stronger now. "What's going on? What happened?"

He turned away to look down at J'onn and Shayera. "I think that's something we'd all like to know," he said darkly. "But, according to Wally, the only person who knows the answer has vanished."

"Vanished?" repeated Diana. "Who? What even happened?"

Superman sighed. "The Justice League was attacked. A coordinated strike, all at roughly the same time. It was meant to take out all the founders." His eyes turned dark, his face furrowing into a scowl. "Except Batman."

"Bruce?" she gasped. "You're not saying what I think you're saying."

"I'm not saying anything," replied Superman. "But he's the only one that knows what happened. Wally and John told me that he helped save us all during the crisis and it was like he knew exactly what was happening to each of us without having been told."

"He's a detective," argued Diana in his defense. "Maybe he found out some other way."

"Maybe. Or maybe there's something he's not telling us."

"But he helped _save_ us, according to you." But Superman didn't look convinced- if anything, even more distrustful. Why couldn't he just have faith in their best friend?

"Yes," admitted Superman, absentmindedly rubbing at his chest where the Kryptonite bullet had nearly killed him.

Thinking of Batman triggered a memory in Diana's mind- she remembered bits and pieces. Fighting Cheetah- Fighting an army of Cheetahs- Fighting Batman-

"Is he okay?" Diana asked urgently. "I wasn't in my right mind, I think I was fighting him, Kal!"

"I'm sure he's fine," Superman said shortly. "According to the med staff, he brought you up here, didn't he?"

He must have finally seen Diana's hurt look, for his own gaze softened and he said, "Diana, I know. When he's not being a complete jerk- he's our best friend. And I know you two have had something going on for a very long time." Diana didn't deny it. "But we have to try to think objectively here, even with him."

Diana looked at him, then shook her head. "I'm still confused about what's going on. We all need to talk."

"Exactly what I was thinking," said Superman. "When the League is done dealing with the collateral damage on Earth, we're having a Founders' meeting."

"Amen to that." Shayera's hoarse voice suddenly piped up from her bed. Diana and Superman gave a start; they hadn't heard her wake up.

"I think I hate flowers," she added.

**BATCAVE- **

"When do you think Bruce'll get back this time?" Barbara asked, as she and Tim hopped out of the Batmobile.

Tim shrugged, removing his domino mask. "Who knows? He's obsessed."

Barbara sighed, worrying over it. Bruce was going crazy over something, having slept only two hours in almost three days. And he was gone for most of it, hunting for clues. He came back at odd hours, speaking harshly to everyone and then being off again. It was most unlike him to give free rein over Gotham to Tim (And Batgirl, if her college schedule allowed).

He hadn't told them why he was gone and what was keeping him, although Tim suspected Alfred knew. However, for the time being the butler was tight-lipped, so it had to be serious.

"Ah, Master Tim, Miss Barbara," said Alfred, entering the Batcave with a steaming tray. "And how was patrol?"

Barbara shrugged. "Fine." Her eyes lit up when she saw the roast beef in the tray. "Alfred, you're beautiful!"

"If only Master Bruce was that enthusiastic for my cuisine," said Alfred, setting the plates down. "Although, he did once call me beautiful."

Barbara and Tim exchanged incredulous looks.

"Although it may be hard to believe, Master Bruce was once a more.. shall we say... open man," Alfred said wryly. "His time and experiences have hardened him- at least on the outside."

"Well, you can't stop there," said Tim, helping himself to some beef. "You have to tell us the story behind why the old man called you beautiful."

"Oh, very well." Alfred opened his mouth to say more, when the Batcycle roared into the cave. Tim actually dropped his roast beef.

"Master Bruce," Alfred called as though his charge hadn't been gone for eighteen straight hours, "Would you care for some roast beef and mashed potatoes?"

"Not now, Alfred," Batman said harshly, striding towards the Batcomputer with such urgency that his cape knocked over the dirt-covered shovel he had wiped for prints some twenty hours earlier. "I've found him."

"Who?" piped up Tim, not really expecting an answer. Surprisingly, he got one.

"Ra's Al Ghul," said Batman. He turned to Alfred. "It was all a distraction, all a distraction for him to use the relic they stole- It's magical backlash has been causing earthquakes in Asia." He pressed a few buttons on his computer. "I saw it on the news, but I was too distracted by... the other events to really think about it. A few interrogations and a cross-referencing of the patterns of earthquakes, and I found his location." He paused. "And I think... I think _they_ might be there too."

Barbara and Tim had no idea who he was talking about, but Alfred seemed to. Quietly, Alfred said, with no trace of his trademark wryness, "Do you think, sir?"

Batman's voice wavered, almost becoming Bruce's for a moment. "I hope."

Barbara and Tim exchanged curious glances.

"Batman," called Barbara as Batman made to get in the Batplane. "What's going on? Are you going to be gone from Gotham?"

"Yes," Batman said shortly. "Tim, can you handle patrol for a while?" Tim could tell it hurt him to say this- Batman almost never relinquished his utter control over patrol. The fact that he was now told just how serious this mysterious _situation _was that Gotham had become second priority.

"Yeah," Tim said eagerly nevertheless. He wasn't looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Batman jumped in the cockpit, paused. "If you need help, call Nightwing."

Yeah, because the proud old man would never do that himself, Tim thought.

As the cockpit closed, Batman got a call on his commlink. He felt a wave of frustration. He didn't have time for this. "Talk," he said tersely.

"It's Superman," said Superman unnecessarily.

Batman started his pre-flight checks. "What."

"We're having a Founders meeting. Right now. It's urgent."

Batman flicked a couple more switches. "Can't."

"No!" Superman suddenly yelled into his ear. Batman almost gave a start at Clark's anger. "We deserve _answers_ about what happened to us. And you're _going_ to give them."

It was true, but Bruce Wayne's gut twisted in dread at the thought of telling the horrible truth to his friends; and seeing any trust they might have had for him die from their eyes forever. He heard Batman say in the comlink, "I'm busy." This was true also- the business with Ra's Al Ghul was important. And, though he was loathe to admit it, he was scared to death of what Ra's might do with his parents' bodies. All the power was in Ra's hands right now, and Batman hated it.

"You're not too busy for this."

"Actually, I am. There's a reason I'm a part-timer." Batman made sure his tone left no room for argument.

"Br-"

"Batman out." He switched off the comlink and prepared to take off.

Just as he was about to move the plane, he felt a curious tingling in his body. He paused, unsure. It was the sort of tingling that happened right before his molecules were scrambled and rearranged upon teleportation to the Watchtower...

_No_, he thought with disbelief. _They wouldn't go that far_. But the evidence pointed to the contrary. He was being transported against his will to the Watchtower. In the two seconds he had before it happened, he belatedly realized that he hadn't fully understood the extent of Superman's anger until now, and with that knowledge he began to feel his own make a comeback. They dared cross him? His fists tightened around the controls of the Batplane.

As he mentally prepared himself for the inevitable confrontation, there was only one thing he knew with absolute, gut-wrenching certainty:

After this, things would never be the same.

**A/N: I'm the first to admit, this is a bit of a filler chapter. But next is the Founders Meeting. Should be fun and games for all involved. Just kidding, it's gonna _suck_ for Batman. -rubs hands together- mwahaha. Good luck Brucey.**

**Anyway, I would love it if you left a review! I so love reading them!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: In this highly anticipated episode of Batsy vs. The Justice League... lol enjoy!**

**DIANA POV**

Diana drummed her fingers nervously against the table. The other five Founders with her sat fidgeting in their own ways; the room was thick with tension.

The door opened and Superman and Batman walked in. Superman looked upset, his brow furrowed; Batman, predictably, had his poker face on. Diana couldn't help but notice he seemed to be favouring his right side very, very slightly, and wondered guiltily if she had caused that injury when she'd been fighting him.

He took his seat next to her, not looking in her direction at all. Superman took up his position at the head of the table but didn't sit, choosing rather to place his hands on the surface and lean over it.

_Asserting power_, Diana noted. Batman wasn't the only one who could play mind games.

Superman cleared his throat and began what could only be described as a professional tone, one at odds with his body language. "I'm calling this meeting to order... We're here together for the first time since the attack. I want to hear a debriefing from everyone at this table about what happened to them. Then we can compare and go forward from there." Diana watched Batman from the corner of her eye through this entire spiel- he was completely rigid, not unlike how he used to be at these meetings at the very beginnings of the Justice League.

"I'll go first," Superman added, his voice deceptively calm. "I was tricked into trying to talk a man out of suicide- he had a gun to his head, but he shot me instead. It was a Kryptonite bullet, straight to the chest." He tapped the area for effect. "I was out for the count, but I was told by personnel at the scene later that they were finally able to operate on me after Flash" he nodded his head in gratitude- "showed up with a Kryptonite scalpel, and they managed to extract the bullet before it nearly killed me. The man who shot me was apprehended by police and has stated he was anonymously paid off to do it, and agreed to the task only because he thought it was a regular bullet that wouldn't hurt me and he needed the money. He's in jail for further questioning though." Superman took a deep breath. "Diana?"

"Right," Diana took off, "I don't remember a lot, but when I was down there helping to clean up-" Her voice reflected her genuine guilt, and she saw Batman's mouth tighten at it- "I heard from a lot of first-hand witnesses, so I was able to piece together what happened. I was fighting Cheetah and she distracted me and put some sort of device in my ear that tricked my senses into thinking everyone I saw was Cheetah." She looked down at her hands, hands that had hurt so many people that day. "I was nearing exhaustion fighting them all, when Batman arrived and snapped me out of it, even though I thought he was Cheetah as well and fought him too." She looked at him apologetically. "Sorry."

Batman's tight expression fell away for a millisecond, revealing a jumble of emotions she couldn't read before being wiped away once again; nobody but Diana seemed to notice this because they were too busy glaring at him.

"Flash?" Superman requested.

"Right," Flash said. "Mirror Master got some sort of weird bomb on my wrist. I had to run so it wouldn't explode on a train full of people, but once I started running, I couldn't stop or it would explode on _me_. So that kinda sucked," he surmised. Shayera sighed loudly, prompting the youngest Founder to continue. "Bats here gave me the idea to run through an iceberg and leave it there, and it might slow the thing down enough for me to get to a safe distance."

"Hold on- _run_ through an iceberg?" Shayera said with a touch of incredulousness.

Flash waved his arms around. "You know- vibrate through. Anyway, it worked. Obviously." He leaned back.

"Thank you, Wally," Superman said. "J'onn?"

J'onn looked at his teammates solemnly. "Clayface in disguise poisoned me with magnesium carbonate..." he trailed off, seeing some confused expressions on his teammates' faces, with the exception of Batman. "That compound is deadly for Martian physiology," he explained. "My body attempted to flush out the poison by sweating the magnesium out, but Clayface then set me on fire. It reacted with the magnesium and I- with my weakness of fire- was burning alive. Luckily, before my strength gave out Flash injected me with aluminum oxide, which neutralized the magnesium." He looked at Flash with gratitude. Flash grinned in response.

"My turn," said John rather impatiently. "I still don't understand why, but I was blinded by my ring somehow. My ring can't create things if I can't see them, so when I was attacked, I had to fall back on my military training." He paused in thought. "I was still holding my own."

Shayera snickered. "All right, John. You're an amazing fighter who belongs in the UFC. Get on with it." John glared at her for a moment.

_They're perfect together_, Diana thought with brief amusement despite the tense situation brewing.

"Anyway," continued John as if his ex hadn't spoken, "Batman here suggested that I _will_ myself to see again. And so I did. But I don't understand _how_."

"It was a post-hypnotic suggestion," said Batman, speaking for the first time since entering the room. Flash jumped at the mechanical sound of his voice. "Made to you by someone while you were asleep, wearing your ring. Subconsciously your will followed that suggestion, and because your ring enforces your will, it made you believe you were blind."

John folded his arms. "_You_ seem to know a lot about it-."

"Enough, John," Superman cut him off.

John shot an angry look at Superman. "What? Come on, you know he knows something! He's not innocent in this!"

"I know that, John," Superman said. "Batman _will_ answer to us. I just want Shayera to have her say first."

Diana glanced at Batman. He stared stoically straight ahead as if he hadn't heard it, but Diana was also curious as to just what Bruce had known about the attacks.

Shayera took a deep breath, and Diana was surprised to hear its unsteadiness. "I inhaled some sort of fear gas," she said, and her eyes took on a somewhat distant look, haunted by the horrors of whatever she had seen. "I saw my... my worst nightmares. It was like when Doctor Destiny had me trapped in a dream, but worse." She shuddered. "John injected me with some antidote that Batman gave him. I was panicking so much that I was near cardiac arrest, and that's saying something for a Thanagarian. We're built strong." She said this last sentence like she didn't believe she should belong with that group.

"But not without vulnerability, just like everyone else," John said quietly. Shayera gave him a brief, sad smile.

"The attacks were ingenious," J'onn spoke up again. "Designed to target our specific mental and physiological weaknesses. All of us were attacked except you, Batman, which is why-"

"I _was_ attacked," Batman interrupted with irritation. "I just got out of it quicker than the rest of you."

"What happened to _you_?" Diana exclaimed. This was news to her. She shot a look at Superman, who looked equally surprised and shrugged.

There was a slight hesitation before Batman replied dismissively, "It doesn't matter."

"It _does_," Diana persisted, worry creeping over her. What could have brought down the Bat? Any multitude of things, she supposed; it was very easy to forget that he was a mortal man. But if it was anything like the tactics used to bring down the rest of them, it had hit his vulnerabilities and hit them hard.

However, her point was lost from the discussion when Lantern said, "That still doesn't explain how you knew everything that was happening to us." There were noises of agreement around the table. Diana was inclined to agree.

"Ra's Al Ghul," Batman began slowly, "is the one behind all this. He is the one that exploited our weaknesses, hoping to kill us but expecting it to distract us from catching the signs of his using the relic that was stolen from the museum in Metropolis. In twenty four hours, he'll have unleashed it. He's using it to-"

"Bruce," demanded Superman, leaning over even further. "Answer. John's. Question."

Batman regarded Superman with a tight expression, the white lenses of his cowl giving nothing away. However, those that knew him best- some of whom were around this table- could read his slightest facial movements, and saw him seem to struggle internally with himself for several moments. Then, abruptly, Diana saw a multitude of things flicker over his face: a decision being made, then a barely-there wave of resignation, followed by a jaw set in determination. And finally, his ice-cold poker face was back. "Ra's Al Ghul stole the plans that detailed how to take you out... from me," he said abruptly.

"What?" Diana gasped, unable to believe what she was hearing. She heard her sentiments being echoed around the table. Superman finally collapsed into his chair and ran a hand over his face.

There was a silence as the team tried to absorb this information- Batman, one of the Original Seven, had plotted against them. As Diana began to get over her shock, she felt anger begin to creep through her veins, along with hurt.

"Bruce... _why_?" she said, unable to keep the emotion of her voice.

He turned his head to look at her, and his jaw might as well have been part of his cowl for all the emotion it showed now. "The members of the Justice League," he said mechanically, "As a group, are far too dangerous to lack a failsafe against possible misuse of our power."

More indignant exclamations followed that remark. "We use our power to protect the world," Diana angrily refuted.

"And what if we didn't?" Batman replied coolly. "Remember the Justice Lords?"

"Aw man, not the _Justice Lords_ argument again!" Flash piped up exasperatedly.

"All right. Remember the lunar crystal that possessed everybody here with an evil snake spirit, except you?" Batman fired back. "I seem to remember you saying how _scary_ it was when five of the most powerful beings on the planet were suddenly after your head." Flash paled.

Superman spoke. "Regardless, you didn't trust us with this information? This is serious, Bruce. This is something that should have been discussed as team, rather than just _you_ in your cave, deciding that you're _right_ all the time!"

"It would defeat the entire purpose if you were told there were contingencies for your betrayal," Batman pointed out.

"But making plans to kill us? I thought _the Batman_ didn't kill," Shayera mocked.

"I don't," stated Batman flatly.

"A Kryptonite bullet, Bruce?" Superman said with disbelief.

Batman gave him a bland look and replied, "Your weakness to Kryptonite is rather well known. It doesn't take a lot of imagination for a super villain to dream something like that up. Besides, my protocols were designed to incapacitate if necessary, not kill. They were altered to meet Ra's goals." Shayera settled back in her chair.

"And that makes me feel so much better," Lantern said, enraged. "You could have consulted. You can't make decisions for the Justice League based on your own opinion! Look at you, scheming to kill us while sitting in our midst! You're truly heartless, aren't you?"

There was a brief silence, as the white lenses of Batman's cowl widened for an instant. He recovered quickly, but Diana, seething inside, couldn't find it in herself to feel bad for him.

"Shayera did the same thing, a long time ago," Batman pointed out finally. There was a pause as everyone remembered Hawkgirl's betrayal and how she had helped the Thanagarians exploited their weaknesses. In saying Batman was heartless for observing their vulnerabilities, he was saying _she_ was too. John looked slightly taken aback, while Shayera's head dropped slightly in shame.

"Batman," said J'onn after a few moments. "Shayera learned from her mistakes. What she did was wrong. You also cannot deny that what _you_ did was wrong. Do you have anything else to say in defense?"

"I don't _need_ a defense," Batman said. "My contingencies are completely justified. I would do it again."

"Oh, come on!" complained Flash. J'onn sighed and rubbed his temples. Superman looked incensed, John indignant. Shayera glared. Diana felt her own anger express itself on her face. How dare he? After the years that they had spent knowing each other, try to destroy them? Try to destroy _her_? And to think she was willing to give her _heart_ to him.

Diana slammed her hand down on the table, leaving a dent. "You're not even sorry?"

He looked at her directly, and she saw her own reflection in his blank lenses. "It was necessary. The breach was just... unfortunate."

Her heart plummeted.

Flash spoke again, slowly. "I'm not sure I have a problem with the plans themselves. But letting them get _stolen_ was pretty stupid." Batman didn't deny it, Diana noticed.

"This is serious," said Superman finally. He looked up, and Diana saw quiet determination amidst the anger that had been there. "A serious breach of our trust, regardless of his reasons."

"And he's not even sorry he did it!" John interjected.

"We need to examine whether Batman should remain in the League," Superman announced to the group. "And I think we should put it to a vote to the six of us, Founders."

Diana's heart jumped, suddenly frantic. She wasn't ready to decide- she couldn't make a choice yet-

"I think he should be out," John spat. "He betrayed us."

"This is true," mused J'onn quietly.

Diana didn't know what to think. On the one hand, John was right. Bruce had betrayed them all, and without an ounce of remorse. But on the other hand, she was suddenly faced with a possible reality of never seeing this man again- and despite all her anger, she hesitated at the thought.

Batman stood abruptly. "This is ridiculous," he seethed. "You're wasting time on diplomatic matters while Ra's Al Ghul and his group of criminals plan to unleash the power of that relic's black magic on the world as we speak. _This_ is not a priority.

"If you people can't see the ramifications of an out-of-control Justice League, I don't need to wait for a vote. I'm obviously not one of you- I'm out." And without another word, the Dark Knight strode out of the door.

There was a complete and utter silence.

After a moment or two, Flash blew air from his nose and sighed. "Bye, Bats," he said in a melancholy sort of way, to no one in particular.

**BATMAN POV**

He was shaking from the effort not to show emotion. It had taken all his willpower to remain stoic and unaffected while in the Watchtower, but after a puzzled Mr. Terrific transported him to the Batcave, his control fell apart.

He fell onto his chair and put his head in his hands.

When he'd been transported, he'd considered turning around and going right back. But Clark had stood there, a few feet away, his expression a hard glare that had given the Dark Knight pause. Not because he was intimidated by Superman, but rather because he came to realize this confrontation was going to happen at some point, so he might as well get it over with.

Looking back though, that probably hadn't been the best choice. They were all still emotional from what had happened and weren't able to look at it objectively enough.

Superman had been just as angry as he predicted- perhaps angrier. He wouldn't even listen to his warnings about Ra's. Another problem he would have to deal with himself, but he was fine with that.

And then he had to go in there and see all their accusing eyes and listen to their horror stories that made his teeth clench... Did they think that it was _easy_ for him to hear it? It had brought so much more pain to his already overloaded psyche. Then Diana had apologized- _apologized_!- to him, as if it were _her_ fault she'd been terrorizing Gateway City.

And then he'd told the truth. Because they deserved to know it, even though he knew that they would never see him as a friend again.

He hadn't wanted to, but he looked directly at Diana when he didn't say he was sorry. The Batman in him wanted Bruce to see Diana's hurt and anger. It was a sick satisfaction, to show _See? This is what happens when you get too close._

Despite his grief over the loss of his friends, he knew it was his own doing. It was his own fault. Just like everything else. But even with that horrible knowledge, he still stood by his protocols.

Which was why he left them- or at least, part of the reason. The other part was because he was a coward- he couldn't stand the humiliation of having them vote him out. And he'd been quite certain- Superman, John, J'onn, perhaps Shayera would have voted against him. Flash had seemed on the fence... but Diana? He could see it in her eyes, she had been about to reject him as well.

As she should, he reflected.

"Master Bruce?" asked Alfred from behind him tentatively. When Batman didn't respond, the butler continued. "We were most perplexed when you disappeared from the Batwing, sir. May I ask what happened?"

Silently, he pulled himself together. "You can _ask_," said Batman irritably finally, lifting his head from his hands. Alfred would probably find out the truth by himself, the wily old man. "I've got to go. I need to try and stop Ra's before he tries to use the black magic. I have a feeling I know what he's using it for, and limited time to stop him." He was glad he had a new problem to latch onto to distract himself: find Ra's. Make him tell Batman where Bruce's parents were. He tapped some keys on the computer, bringing up the map of Southern Asia he had been pouring over earlier.

Alfred regarded him seriously, but dropped it. "Perhaps you should rest for some time first, sir? I can count on one hand the number of hours you seem to have slept in the past week-"

"Send the news out, Alfred," Batman called as the Batwing revved to life. "Bruce Wayne is going on a vacation to- I don't know, Jamaica-for a couple of days."

Alfred could only watch his angry charge climb into the plane. He remembered the mention of being buried alive and sighed to himself. Such a traumatic event, and yet the younger man seemed almost unaffected. Either he was too strong-willed to let that break him, or he was already so broken it didn't make a difference.

But Alfred knew it wasn't _either_ of those; it was both. The young Master was a study of contradictions.

"If only you took a _fifth_ of the vacations you pretend to be on," Alfred muttered as he left the Batcave.

**A/N: Would love to hear your thoughts. Or read, as the case may be. :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Wow, 100+ reviews?! I love you guys!**

**I got some comments about the last chapter and how certain Founders seemed to react to the news. Well let me just tell you this, that chapter was from Bruce's and Diana's perspectives, meaning that's not necessarily what those characters felt, just what Bruce and Diana saw. And of course Bruce would see everybody to be against him :P I think you'll see as the story goes on and when emotions aren't running so high, that some of the Founders might start being more outwardly understanding.**

**INDIA~ HOURS BEFORE FOUNDERS' MEETING**

"We failed," said Mirror Master angrily. "You promised this would work! That they would be destroyed!"

Ra's looked calmly around him at the incensed group of villains: Cheetah, Ultra-Humanite, Clayface, Mirror Master, Sinestro. "Now, now," he said cordially. "I never said they would be destroyed, as a fact. I hoped, but I also knew that the Detective is not to be underestimated. Of course he would have countermeasures to his countermeasures."

"You knew this would happen?" demanded Sinestro, slamming his hand down on the table. "And yet you sent us on this useless mission anyway?"

Ra's leaned back in his chair. "That's where you are wrong, my friend," he replied. "It wasn't useless; in fact, on the contrary we have achieved something great."

"Oh? What's that? To make the Justice League extremely pissed off?" Cheetah snorted.

"Yes," said Ra's, catching them all off guard. Before Cheetah could say more, he continued. "At the Detective." Seeing the confused looks on their faces (with the exception of the Ultra-Humanite, who had caught on and was now nodding his head thoughtfully), he elaborated. "The Detective is the main intelligence of the League. By now, I am rather certain that they have realized that the Batman is behind all this, and he has been isolated. Without him, the League is weaker. Without them, the Detective is shaken."

"What's the point?" Mirror Master asked.

"_That's_ the thing," Ra's said. "I've payed you all in full, haven't I?"

The others nodded their heads uncertainly. Before Ra's could get to his next point, the door slammed open and Talia Al Ghul walked in.

Ra's spared his daughter a cursory glance. "Good of you to join us, my dear-"

"May I have a word, Father?" Talia said through clenched teeth. Her fists were balled up; the question was more of a demand.

"No," said Ra's. He didn't have time at the moment for Talia's hurt feelings. "As I was saying, Mirror Master-"

"How could you do it?" interrupted Talia, storming up to her father's chair. Her anger gave way to sadness, betrayal even. "Why would you try to kill my Beloved? You promised me," she whispered, somewhat pathetically.

Ra's shot her a glare. "You are weak, Talia," he said coldly. "The Detective has refused our invitations to join us time and time again. He is our enemy, yet you cannot let go of dreams of the past. We cannot allow him to get in our way any longer."

"But _Father_," Talia cried.

Ra's cut her off. "There is no point to your hurt rambling because he did not die anyway. Make yourself useful and rally a guard around the fortress. We will need a strong defense if the resourceful Detective decides to come our way." He paused and returned his attention to his audience and this time, Talia did not interrupt again.

"Well, now you may choose to walk away, or join me in my greatest plan yet. A plan that the Justice League, in their weakened and distracted state, will be unable to stop."

"And what's that?" asked Clayface curiously.

"It's a plan that I have tried before, but now that I have powerful magic on my side, it will become a reality this time," said Ra's with a slightly maddened smile. "Do you know anything about the Lazarus Pits, my friends?..."

**BATMAN POV~ PRESENT**

The tropical forests of India were absolutely _sweltering_.

Not that Batman noticed. He had far too many other distractions on mind right now. Like the new stab wound in his arm, and the rib Diana had broken that had now been hit again by a common thug. Well, not a common thug- The League of Assassins could hardly be called anything but professional. Good thing Batman was a _legendary_ professional.

Still, even he could acknowledge as he took down another group of masked assassins that he was getting slower. The stress of recent events was catching up with him. But the more groups of assassins he encountered around this building, the more apparent it became that his investigations had been a success; he had found the Al Ghul's stronghold; disguised well, built into the mountain. It was rather scenic for Batman's tastes, surrounded by lush forest and bordered by a cascading waterfall that fell off the mountain's rock face.

He twisted the last one standing into an armlock and calmly broke his arm. A strangled scream escaped the assassin's throat.

Batman smiled grimly; he recognized the sadist monster in him that had taken full control and welcomed its presence as a tool. "Tell me where the Demon is," he said quietly into the man's ear, "If you want to walk away from this."

The man gasped in pain but finally spoke with admirable defiance: "You're bluffing. You don't kill."

"You won't die today," Batman agreed. "But you won't _walk_ away. You'll crawl... if you're lucky." With this he seized the man's leg and prepared to break his fibula.

The man gulped in another desperate breath. "All right!" He screamed.

Batman did not let go of his leg. "Talk."

The assassin did.

**DIANA POV**

The discussion in the Founder's Meeting had been several hours ago, but everything said in its duration kept echoing through Diana's head. And all of Batman's emotionless yet ruthless words, and all the words he didn't say out loud, coursed through her heart angrily with every beat. She was angry with Bruce, no doubt. But would she have voted him out? She told herself she would've, but she didn't really know.

She sat with Superman and J'onn now, having a different discussion.

"Regardless of our feelings for Batman, the fact remains that the relic's magic is being used," said J'onn to the other two incensed metas.

_Yes_, thought Diana bitterly. _Regardless of our feelings for Batman_.

Superman's brow was furrowed. "I know, I know. we need to stop Al Ghul. The world's more important than our internal feuds."

"Then why'd you stop _him_ from telling us more about it?" asked Diana, unable to help herself. "How are we going to know what to do? Only _he_ knew what was going on."

"I know," Superman repeated tiredly. Diana realized that he was possibly even more affected by Bruce's betrayal than she; after all, they had known each other longer. But Superman was a leader and could not show that kind of emotion in front of the group. She felt suddenly awful that she had been so focused on herself.

She put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Kal."

He looked up.

She smiled; a smile that, she'd been told once by a little girl, lit up the whole world. "We'll figure it out."

His brows unknitted just a little bit.

"There is a possibility," J'onn said suddenly.

The moment forgotten, Superman was instantly alert and in leader-mode. "What's that, J'onn?"

"We could go to his home," J'onn said. When Diana and Superman looked confused, the Martian elaborated. "Br- Batman's home. Do you remember his butler, Diana?"

Unwillingly, Diana's mouth was pulled into a small smile at the memory. After the Thanagarian invasion, she and J'onn had spent several days in Wayne Manor while Bruce was arranging more permanent accommodations for them. In that time, they had gotten to know Alfred rather well. Diana was rather sad to leave the place, actually, but had not wanted to intrude. She hadn't been back since.

"Perhaps he knows what Batman did not tell us," Diana finished the thought that J'onn was thinking. "He always did seem a step ahead, didn't he?"

"Yes," agreed J'onn.

Superman pondered it for a moment. He had only met Alfred a handful of times- Bruce was very protective about his surrogate family- but it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. And if Bruce was still in the Batcave, they could talk to him instead. "Let's go," he decided.

Two minutes later, with the curious eyes of several Leaguers watching them- rumours of Founder meeting drama spread fast- the three of them had been transported to the Batcave.

Diana had to blink her eyes a few times to adjust to the darkness. When she did, she was greeted with the sight of softly glowing computer screens, machines, and Batman's collection of trinkets. It was a comforting sight somehow, the home of Batman.

She didn't want to think about the psychology behind that.

"Oh, it's you."

The three heroes looked up, only to see a boy drop down from the darkness of the ceiling. He was dressed in red and wore a domino mask- one of Batman's sons, Robin, Diana realized.

"You should really call before you just barge in," the boy said conversationally as he rose from his crouch and pocketed what looked like a Batarang. "Bruce doesn't like visitors." He paused. "He doesn't like anyone, really."

"Hello, Tim," said Superman with a genuine smile. "Haven't seen you in a long time."

Tim grinned. "That's your fault. When Bruce _isn't_ being controlled by Brainiac's nanotech, you never come by." His gaze shifted to J'onn and Diana. "Wow. I've only ever seen you two on TV." He squinted at Diana. "You're really pretty. I can see why the old man has a crush on you."

Diana was taken aback, but the boy continued on as if he hadn't just dropped an Easter Egg. "What brings you here, anyway? Batman's gone. The only people here are me and Alfred." As if summoned, the butler himself quietly materialized from the bottom of the Batcave's stairs.

He inclined his head politely. "Mister Kent. Mister Jonzz. Your Highness," he addressed each one of them individually. Diana, Superman and J'onn awkwardly stood there, each keenly aware that Bruce's family had no idea that Batman and the Justice League had parted ways.

Superman cleared his throat. "I wish we could stay here and catch up, but we need to find out something from you." He looked at Tim and Alfred in turn. "Do either of you know where Batman went, or about Ra's Al Ghul's plans?"

Tim and Alfred looked at each other for a moment. Then Tim shrugged. "_I_ don't want to suffer Bruce's wrath, and besides, I have to go back on patrol. _You_ tell 'em, Alfred." And with that, the young Robin disappeared back into the darkness of the Batcave.

"Thank you, Master Tim," said Alfred wryly. His sharp eyes fell back on Diana and the other two. "Master Bruce left his computer on, dear me," he said to them.

"What?" asked Superman, puzzled.

"Master Bruce left his computer on," Alfred repeated, inclining his head to the softly glowing screens of the massive Batcomputer.

It clicked in Diana's head. "Oh," she said, striding forward. The images on the computer's main screen slid into focus. A heavily marked map of Asia was displayed, with a series of curved lines cascading over one another superimposed on the landmass.

Her eyes followed the lines, and were drawn to a place where all the lines intersected. "Here!" she exclaimed, jabbing her finger at the screen. "That's where we'll find him."

"Well done, Your Highness," said Alfred with a hint of admiration in his voice. Then his tone became more serious. "If you wouldn't mind, please make haste. I do fear for that stubborn man sometimes."

The three heroes exchanged guilty looks.

"We'll do what we can, Alfred," Superman spoke up hesitantly. "Thanks for your help."

Alfred nodded his head, then turned smartly on the heel and strode away.

**BATMAN POV**

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Batman growled, and knocked the assassin out with one precise blow to the head. He'd gotten all the information he needed. The lower-level assasin was not in Ra's inner circle and as such didn't know the Demon's bigger plans. Smart move on the part of Ra's.

However, Batman had heard enough to understand the location of the relic and to glean that Ra's was raising a Lazarus Pit here- There was no natural Lazarus Pit in this area. It was just a confirmation of his suspicions; Ra's never settled far from a Pit.

As his victim slumped forward, Batman felt the presence of another behind him. He allowed them to try to sneak up on him. It was a good attempt on their part, but Batman could sense the roar of the waterfall dim in his ears just a little bit as the would-be assassin loomed.

At the last second, Batman's arm came up in a swift backfist. He felt it hit the person in the face and heard them fly backwards. He smiled grimly. That trick was always fun.

He turned around, but was surprised to see that the crumpled man in uniform wasn't the only presence in the clearing.

Cheetah. The real one.

His glare narrowed. She grinned, baring her wickedly sharp teeth.

"Hello, Batman," she said. "Too bad Wonder Woman didn't beat you."

"True, but she beat about a thousand of _you_," Batman retorted with a smirk. The two began to circle each other slowly, sizing each other up. Batman knew he had to be smart with this fight- he was fighting a meta, and in a weakened state.

Cheetah snarled at the jab, but her expression quickly turned again into a grin. "I'm amazed that such a _little toy_ could make Wonder Woman go so insane," she purred. "But it was made by you, wasn't it? All I had to do was slap it in her ear."

Batman didn't rise to the bait. She continued.

"Does it bother you at all?" she asked. She put her fingers together and began to casually sharpen her long nails. "That you brought about all that destruction?"

Batman didn't answer that but brought up a question of his own. "Why are you working for Ra's Al Ghul?"

"Why else? We would get to see our greatest nemesis killed..." Her eyes narrowed. "That didn't work out to well, thanks to you... But he gave us money, too."

"Yes," said Batman. "You always needed the money, didn't you?"

Her expression darkened at the memory Batman had successfully brought forward. "I thought you had some sort of heart, Batman," she said. "You listened to my story and seemed to understand, once. But now I see the rumours are really true. You couldn't care less that you almost destroyed the Justice League. You're just like us."

Batman didn't let any of that affect his overall demeanor. "I'm glad you're finally catching on... Dr. Minerva."

Cheetah's eyes widened slightly at being called her human name, the name she held before being mutated. And at the same time, insulting her with the humiliating remembrance of her failed days as a scientist. "You'll pay!" she spat, leaping at him.

At the same time, Batman threw a curved batarang with a flick of the wrist. It flew past her.

Her brows shot up; anger momentarily forgotten as she took a swipe at him, which he dodged. "You missed."

Batman retaliated with a well placed strike to her side. "I don't miss."

With that, the boomerang-shaped object flew back through the air and hit Cheetah on the side of the head. She staggered, momentarily disengaged. Batman pressed his advantage.

He jumped and planted a two-footed kick to her stomach, throwing her backwards. With a true feline grace, she managed to stop her momentum from causing her to fall back into the waterfall.

Growling, she leaped on him. Her sheer strength made Batman fall onto his back. She had his arms pinned.

She was too strong. But strength wasn't everything.

One of Batman's legs swung up and hooked around her neck. Rolling, he swung their positions around so that _she_ was on the ground, held down at the throat by his boot. He raised his fist, going for the knock-out blow.

She caught it and threw him back.

Maybe he could have prevented what happened next if he wasn't so sore and bleeding and exhausted. He landed on his hands and flipped back onto his feet, just in time to see her tail snake around his neck. Before he could even react, she was adding to his backwards momentum, throwing him into another backflip...

He fell into the abyss of the waterfall.

**A/N: *cough* you should totally leave a review *cough***


	12. Chapter 12

**AL GHUL'S FORTRESS**

Ra's Al Ghul surveyed the Lazarus Pit being created by the relic.

All was going well so far; the Justice League had not yet caught on to his plans. By the time they got here, his work would be done.

He smiled to himself. Perhaps the Detective had been able to stop him before, but back then, there had been a limited number of Lazarus Pits with which to flood the world. With the relic's powerful Chaos magic, Ra's could create many Lazarus Pits wherever he wanted in the world- then unleash their full power on the masses.

Before the sun rose, all his dreams would be realized, and the utopia that was Earth would finally be freed from the greedy hands of mankind.

The Detective might already know this, Ra's acknowledged. But without the might of the League behind him, he would not be able to stop the plan in this late stage on his own.

"Well? Did you find him?" Ra's demanded, turning to face the two assassins who had just entered the room. They bowed immediately.

"The Cheetah woman killed him," one reported. "She threw the Batman over the edge of the waterfall."

Ra's stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Was the body recovered?"

There was a pause. Then: "No."

"Then he's still alive," snapped Ra's. "How many times do I have to tell you not to underestimate him?" He addressed the second assassin. "You there!"

He looked startled at being talked to directly but nonetheless stood to attention.

"Mobilize another group and search for him. Do not rest until you do. And have the guard around the perimeter doubled. I want him found." Ra's turned away again, dismissing them.

"Right away," the first assassin assured, and the two of them left hastily.

**BATMAN POV**

The second assassin hurried down the hall. Damn it, he was sore. After Cheetah had thrown him over the waterfall, he had barely managed to grapple away from his death and climb his way back up the rock face. He had been bleeding profusely at that point and upon feeling faint, had been forced to crudely cauterize his stab wound before moving on.

The best way to get in now was the path of least resistance, which was why he had donned the unconscious assassin's clothing over top his armour, pulled his cowl down and the assassin's mask on, and blended in.

Now, Batman was doubling back to the Lazarus Pit room. He had to be sneaky about it, as Ra's would see him coming for the relic a mile away.

It was fascinating, really, what Ra's planned to do. It was Project Orpheus all over again, but no satellite required. With the Chaos magic, Ra's could create Lazarus Pits in key areas and cause them to overflow. It would be difficult to stop once the process was started. Which was why Batman needed to get the relic out of the picture first.

And to think no one understood why he hated magic.

"What are you doing?"

Batman stopped and turned around. Talia Al Ghul stood several feet behind him in the hallway, hands on her hips.

"Patrolling," he said with a bow, changing his voice to have the same accent as the assassin he had interrogated. Talia. He couldn't believe that he had trusted her, especially after that shoddy story about how Ra's was after her. He had known something was fishy about that- Ra's wouldn't just assume she was dead, he would have made sure.

Talia's glare was suspicious now. She walked forward. "I do not recall ever meeting you. What is your name?"

Batman really had no idea, so he took a chance. "I have no name, I do the work of the Demon."

Talia's eyes pierced his, and a moment later, her glare fell away. "Beloved!" she whispered. "I thought it was you. You hide your face and speak like our assassins, but I would recognize your lovely blue eyes anywhere."

Dammit. He really needed to invest in colour contacts if his eyes were really that recognizable. Or maybe Talia was just smart.

In seconds he had thrown enough batarangs to have her pinned against the wall by her clothes. She didn't resist, didn't even struggle when he pulled out a canister of knock out gas.

"I can help you get in," she said breathlessly. He paused.

"Why would you help me now?" He growled, narrowing his gaze. She seemed unfazed.

"My father was going to kill you," she said. "Believe me or don't believe me, but I cannot side with the man that lies to me, not anymore." She paused. "The wall beside the second door on the left is fake. Press the darkest brick and a door will reveal itself and will bring you straight back to the Lazarus Pit. In arm's reach of the relic."

Batman looked into her eyes, searching hard. She looked steadily back at him. Her gaze was genuine, not seducing, not fleeting like before.

She was telling the truth, he decided. Still holding her gaze, he opened the canister of knockout gas and held it in front of her nose. She inhaled, coughed, and fell silent within moments, her head drooping down to her chest.

Batman cautiously followed the directions Talia had given, and found the bricks moved aside with a heavy slide to reveal another door. It swung open at his touch. It was too easy...

He once again surveyed his surroundings. It was a large, expansive room, computers and tech in one corner, with many workers milling about the place.

The middle of the scene was really what concerned him. The Hindu relic, a very unassuming statue of a many-armed, blue goddess whom Batman, with his extensive knowledge, knew was Kali, the goddess of destruction and rebirth...

Yeah, he should have seen the signs of Ra's Al Ghul behind this.

The relic emitted an odd sort of light, floating gently above the Lazarus Pit that Ra's had created. The only thing he could think of at the moment was to take it out.

He had to admit to himself that most of his hatred of magic came from the fact that it wasn't scientific- not easily understandable. He found himself wishing for a moment that a magician from the league was here- Dr. Fate would be most suited to dealing with Chaos magic.

As he took a step forward, just feet away from the Pit, he noticed something else- Ra's was nowhere to be seen. His heart jumped.

Ra's would never just abandon his little project to the hands of his workers. No, he would be in this room the whole time, which meant if he wasn't in Batman's line of sight-

He swung around, just in time to avoid a hypodermic dart. It made a quiet little _schick_ sound as it zoomed past him.

"Well done," said Ra's, almost admiringly. He stood where Batman's blind spot had previously been, cloaked in shadows and loosely holding a hypodermic dart gun and a remote in one hand.

Batman knew his cover was up and widened his stance. Talia had tricked him... And he'd been so _sure_ this time...

"Who are you?" Ra's asked curiously. "The Detective? I imagine it must be you. No one else would be able to find this door."

Batman hesitated internally. Talia's information _wasn't_ Ra's doing? He didn't dwell on it, but calculated whether he could grab the relic before Ra's could stop him. He decided he could, and leaped for it.

His fingers brushed against the statue- and suddenly a huge shock went through him. With a pained yell, he was thrown back and hit the wall violently with a thud.

Ra's observed him groaning and slumped on the floor with amusement. "You didn't think it would be _that_ easy, did you?" Swiftly, Ra's pulled Batman's head wrappings off, revealing Bruce Wayne's glaring face.

Bruce reached behind him and pulled the cowl attached to his suit back on. "With _you_ involved, it usually isn't," he acknowledged.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Detective?" replied Ra's. Even as he spoke, a group of assassins was clustering around them; and now, emerging from somewhere unknown, the metas of the Injustice Gang. "It's fitting that you're here to witness my greatest plan yet." He paused.

"And your least original," Batman ground out between clenched teeth. How did he keep hitting the same broken rib over and over again?

Ra's chose to ignore that comment. "Isn't it wonderful? The magic will replicate whatever I choose, in this case the chemicals of the Lazarus Pit, and _wher_ever I choose. Anywhere. Tokyo, Dubai, St. Petersburg, Cairo, London, Toronto, Metropolis... Gotham..." Batman growled as Ra's continued on in a dangerously soft voice.

"I say the word, the magic causes the Pits to overflow... destroy much of the human filth that infects earth. No satellite, no science involved for you to destroy and foil my plans. Just magic. I know your weaknesses, Detective." He nodded knowingly, and pressed a button on the small remote he held in his hand. A trap door on the high ceiling began to open slowly with a hiss. Batman's eyes widened in disbelief and horror at the objects that were slowly lowered from the gaping hole above the bubbling Lazarus Pit. The coffins of Thomas and Martha Wayne hung precariously in the balance.

Ra's smiled triumphantly. "_All_ of them."

**A/N: Oh and I'd like to thank guest reviewer Senpai Gabby who helpfully corrected a technical error in the last chapter. Senpai Gabby I think you are probably right about it and since I wasn't totally sure myself, I changed it since you seemed quite certain lol. I would PM you about this but can't for obvious reasons :D**

**Anyway as always I would so appreciate if you left a review! Constructive criticism is welcome; I know action isn't really my forte. Thanks to everyone for sticking with the story so far!**


	13. Chapter 13

**BATMAN POV**

"No..." Batman whispered.

Ra's seemed to be enjoying himself. "On the contrary, yes."

Batman struggled to get up, coughed and slid back down. Ra's watched his efforts with an amused air.

"Do you see how fruitless your quest is now?" he asked Batman. "Assuming you are able to stand in the next minute or so, you have a choice to make. You can continue your blind effort to disengage the relic's magic, or you can attempt to save your precious parents." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "The Lazarus Pits can fully restore a man near death, and kill a healthy one...I wonder what the Pits will make of their bodies?" The rope holding the Waynes' coffins lowered slower still, maddeningly creeping closer to the frothing chemicals of the Pit.

Batman growled, and his anger was finally enough to allow him to support himself. He had sustained too many injuries.

But no matter what, he told himself, he was putting this madness to an end one way or another.

The assassins crept closer warily as their adversary straightened to his full height. Ubu, Ra's bodyguard, advanced forward with a particularly gleeful look on his brutish face. "No, no, stand down," Ra's told them. "I want to see what he does. What he chooses." He watched Batman closely. "Another unproductive attempt to save the world? Or selfishly try to save his parents bodies from being desecrated?"He folded his arms. "You will not win today, Detective."

"I... will," Batman grunted, and began to think. He had two minutes, tops, before those coffins sunk into the Pits and the Pits being created around the world overflowed. The device lowering his parents was hidden- no mechanism to stop, he'd have to find it... At the same time...How could he stop the relic when it was surrounded by some sort of protective force field?

"You never _did_ know when to give up," Ra's said smugly, but once again with that hint of admiration. "Even when I had Ubu take care of you for me."

"I thought I buried you alive," Ubu growled from Ra's side.

"That was your mistake," Batman retorted. So it had been Ubu. He was actually rather disgusted with himself. He had been bested by Ubu, of all people? It was practically an insult. He must have been _really_ distracted not to notice that blundering fool.

Just then there was a flash in the middle of the room, and everyone in the room swivelled their heads to look. Four figures stood there, still shimmering slightly from their recent transport.

The Justice League had arrived.

**DIANA POV**

The first thing Diana saw was a bubbling, glowing pool of liquid.

The second thing she saw was _him_. Batman. He was surrounded by assassins- she recognized their uniforms from Ivy Town. Inexplicably, Batman wore the same clothes.

She saw the metas, then zeroed in on Ra's Al Ghul.

"Go!" Superman roared- he, Diana, J'onn and Zatanna sprang into action.

Superman and J'onn flew right into the group of meta criminals and were quickly engaged. Zatanna put her hand out in the direction of the relic and muttered something- there was a bang and a flash of light, and Zatanna was thrown across the room. Before she hit the wall, a large cushion appeared out of thin air to stop her from full impact force.

"Zatanna!" yelled Diana, changing direction to fly towards her.

"It's protected!" Batman shouted at the same time from where he was punching assassins out of his way. "You can't just pick it up!"

Diana sent him what she hoped looked like a cursory glance and helped Zatanna up.

"I'm fine," said Zatanna, wincing slightly as she held her side and adjusted her hat. "I'll try something else. You go ahead and do what you do best." Diana smiled and charged back into the fray- they were outnumbered. A large man lunged at her, screaming, "Infidels!" Diana punched him out without looking his way.

J'onn was engaging with both Cheetah and Ultra-Humanite at the same time, while Superman fought Clayface, Mirror Master and Sinestro. He seemed to be having a hard time, especially with his two virtually intangible foes. Diana decided to take one on, and tackled Clayface.

It was rather like the sensation of flinging herself into a large pile of mud- She punched and kicked at it, but it was just- just _goo_! How did Batman fight this? she thought disgustedly as she squared off with the giant, sneering monster again. She launched herself at it for another punch-

Without warning, Clayface's face molded into Superman's. Caught completely off guard, her fist halted.

Clayface-Superman laughed, grabbed her wrist and threw her. "Works every time," he said, even as Diana got up again. "I guess it's comforting to know you're not willing to punch your boyfriend."

Even in the middle of the crisis, Diana sighed internally. The world always put Superman and herself as a pairing and it was getting tiresome.

Out of nowhere another voice cut across. "Speaking of boyfriends, how's _yours_, Clayface?" Batman pulled some device out of his belt and fired it at Clayface- a long black wire embedded itself into his mushy body and electrocuted him. "You and Bruce Wayne made a cute couple, while it lasted," he taunted as Clayface roared in anger and then pain at the electricity coursing through him.

"What?" said Diana, puzzled. In her confusion she almost missed Clayface's hammer-shaped hand swinging towards her but dodged it at the last second.

Batman sent another round of electricity Clayface's way. Clayface roared again, and then his face went slack. Suddenly his whole body collapsed in on itself, making a large puddle of- clay, Diana supposed- on the floor.

Meanwhile, Diana decided the strange mental image of Batman and Clayface holding hands could wait and turned to ask Batman for direction, but he was already shooting his grapple. She turned to see his target, and saw two wooden coffins hanging from the ceiling that she hadn't noticed before.

"What's that?" she asked.

He shot her an unreadable look, then replied in a very, very low voice. "My parents' bodies."

Diana's eyes widened in shock, just as she got thrown to the floor by Cheetah. She relayed the news mentally to J'onn that the boxes were important. As she elbowed her nemesis in the face, she heard Zatanna speak loudly: "_Pord rouy sesnefed_!"

She heard Ra's Al Ghul roar loudly in rage and several things happened at the same time:

The relic stopped glowing, and sat there ready for the taking. Batman, with his grapple already in place, swooped with no hesitation and tore the relic away from its place...

The cable holding the Waynes' coffins suddenly became slack, and the boxes went in free-fall...

Ultra-Humanite slammed into Zatanna's glowing, prone body and she hit the wall with a resounding _crack_...

Diana, who was still pinned down, instinctively thought as loudly as she could: _J'onn! Take the coffins- Bruce's parents somewhere else_!...

Ra's pulled a Kryptonite knife from his robes and Superman fell to Sinestro's power ring...

At this point, J'onn asked no questions-he swooped forward and deftly caught the coffins inches away from the unknown and vanished, presumably from a transport. Darts pierced the air where he had been mere milliseconds ago.

Ra's howled in anger again.

This was all a very effective distraction, so Diana pulled her legs up and hit Cheetah hard enough in the stomach that she went flying off her. She found a barrage of bullets coming her way now, and began to deflect with her bracelets.

An object fell from above and clattered in front of her- a second later, the area was full of smoke.

"Where'd they go?" Mirror Master shouted.

Diana felt a hand roughly grab her arm. It was Batman, and slung over his shoulder was an unconscious Zatanna.

"Let's get out of here," he hissed.

"I'm not leaving without Superman," she said defiantly. Maybe Batman didn't care if any of them died, but she still had a sense of team responsibility.

"We're not," he said tersely. "We're outnumbered. We get out of sight and find an opening."

She opened her mouth to argue, but his grip tightened. "Ra's won't kill him yet. Trust me," he said gruffly. His tone communicated that even _he_ knew that was a fat chance.

Inexplicably, it was this fact that made Diana relent.

When the smoke cleared, the small army of metas and assassins stood grouped closely around Ra's, who held a weakened Superman in a headlock with one arm and the Kryptonite knife pressed to his throat with the other.

"Do you like my weapon of choice, Detective?" breathed Ra's with a slightly maddened glint to his eye as he searched the room. There was really no telling what he would do now that his plan had been foiled against all his calculated odds. "I believe it's something of yours. You might recognize it as the scalpel the Metropolis doctors used to operate on the Kryptonian here a few days ago." He laughed, and the sound of it was almost uncontrolled. "How fitting that his savior so easily turns on him. Rather like you did, wouldn't you agree, Detective?"

Superman's call was feeble. "Don't listen to him, Batman!"

Far, far above the scene, in a hidden, shadowed alcove just outside the room, Batman visibly stiffened. Diana felt like glaring at him herself but knew that antagonizing him even more would not help the situation right now.

"Did you get the relic?" Diana whispered. He held it up, Diana took it and examined it. It didn't look like much. "What now?"

He didn't answer right away- he was clutching his stomach in pain, nearly doubled over.

She forgot all her quarrels with him for a moment and hurried to his side. "Are you all right?" she asked, worried.

"Fine," he ground out, straightening. She knew he hated being seen as vulnerable and let him push her hand away. "Just a broken rib... That's been hit. A lot."

She felt guilty again. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You shouldn't be. It's my fault," he said.

She peered at him through the darkness, and almost thought she saw Bruce, rather than Batman, in the line of his mouth. She didn't have time to think on it, though.

"Give me the relic!" snarled Ra's suddenly from below. They heard a weak groan of pain from Superman as Ra's dug the scalpel into his neck.

"I know you're here somewhere, Detective. Amazon. You have ten seconds before I kill the Kryptonian."

**A/N: there are 3 constants in life: death, taxes, and me shamelessly asking for reviews ;)**


	14. Chapter 14

**BATMAN POV**

Batman snapped back into his dominant personality. He knew Ra's wasn't bluffing this time; the man had nothing to lose. They had less than ten seconds.

Meanwhile, below, Ra's dug the Kryptonite scalpel deeper into Superman's neck, now drawing blood. Superman groaned. Ra's laughed harshly; the tight circle of assassins and metas around him went into fighting stances, ready for their two foes. "Time's up, De-"

He never got to finish his sentence because a batarang hit his hand, causing him to drop the knife. At the same time, a golden lasso looped around Superman's prone body and yanked him upwards to safety, where Wonder Woman was now floating.

Batman followed up his Batarang with a headfirst dive to plant his two feet into Ra's chest- Ra's went crashing down. Wasting no time, Batman bent down, grabbed Ra's head in both hands and, with his forwards momentum, executed a front flip. He landed on his feet, Ra's landed on his back.

Except, Ra's was also an exceptional fighter. Right before he crashed onto his back, his legs bent to catch himself so that he could also find himself on his feet. Batman and Ra's squared off.

"Give me the relic," Ra's hissed, unsheathing his sword.

"Oh, this?" called Diana from where she had socked Sinestro in the face. All eyes seemed to be drawn to it as she easily crushed the statue between her fingers.

Both Batman and Ra's shouted, "No!"

There was a deafening silence, followed by an equally deafening boom. A shockwave seemed to move through the ground, knocking everyone off their feet. It didn't stop at the walls of the room, but kept going. A great rumbling was heard, and the whole mountain side began to shake.

"This place is going down!" Superman weakly called from where he struggled to get up.

The metas seemed to realize that as well.

"I didn't sign up for this!" Mirror Master declared, and his image vanished. The other villains seemed to share those sentiments as they bolted out the door.

Batman, who was holding down Ra's, shouted at his teammates: "Take Zatanna and get out of here!"

Diana looked like she wanted to argue; but she knew that he could hold his own. He had taken on greater challenges than this. Besides, Batman could request transport from the Watchtower out if worst came to worst.

Ra's seemed to gain a second wind and hit Batman in the face with the hilt of his sword. In the same stroke, he hit Batman off him.

Batman fell with a _spash_! into the pool of water that had, mere minutes ago, been an unnatural Lazarus Pit.

"You have crossed me for the last time, Detective!" Ra's yelled. His assassins let their arrows fly into the water where Batman's head was. He dove under water.

The arrows continued to come, so Batman threw an explosive Batarang out of the water. It went off with a bang and was enough of a distraction for him to get out of the water without resistance.

Ra's charged him again, his sword out. Batman dodged the first couple of swipes without much difficulty.

"The ceiling's coming apart!" he heard the assassin near him shout. He reached that way and took the man's sword out of its sheath, but the assassin was too distracted by the crumbling rock falling from above to notice.

He turned just in time to see Ra's sword come down at him from an upward arc, and with a _clang_ their swordfight began.

"This time, you're answering to the authorities, Ra's," Batman growled as they parried back and forth. Rocks from the ceiling began to fall with more frequency, narrowly missing the two of them at times.

Ra's had the gall to look amused. "You think that means anything to me, Detective? I have lived over 600 years. I have connections everywhere." He feinted but Batman didn't fall for it when he suddenly stabbed. "Your _authorities_ are corrupt. Everyone can be bought for the right price." Ra's pushed his sword's blade onto Batman's, trying to overpower him. "Just one of the many things wrong with humankind." Batman moved to the side, the sudden absence of resistance causing Ra's to stagger. Still, Ra's turned around fast enough to block the blow to the head that Batman had aimed at him with the hilt of his sword. He then countered with a jab that Batman only barely managed to avoid.

Batman wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up. In all his clashes with Ra's in the past, his adversary had proved to be an exceptional fighter, matching and often surpassing his own prowess.

Ra's figure was suddenly encompassed by a shadow. Batman looked up and saw a large slab of rock falling directly in the path of his nemesis.

With no time to explain, Batman jumped at Ra's and tackled him. They landed, mere inches away from where the rock had been about to smash Ra's to a pulp.

Ra's looked a little shocked for a moment at his brush with death, and then began to laugh. He swiped his sword at Batman, and with the proximity, his aim was true: a deep gash was cut into Batman's torso.

He hissed in pain and jumped up, brandishing his own sword again.

"Ah, Detective," said Ra's, still laughing. "I almost forgot how you detest death. So many of your problems could be solved if you just had the courage to do what is necessary. But then again, if that was the case, you would have joined me by now."

Batman felt a shadow over his own head at the same time that Ra's lunged at him again. There was a piece of ceiling coming down on him.

He tried to lead Ra's away from the incoming rock, but this time Ra's was not so lucky. The rock fell on him, pinning half his body underneath it. Batman started forwards to help, but the mountain was coming down on their heads too quickly now. Half the room was blocked off. The exit would be blocked off soon enough as well.

"Beloved!"

Batman turned.

Talia Al Ghul was running towards them. "My father," she cried, stricken with panic. "Where is my father?"

Batman pointed to where they could barely see his head, behind slabs of rock that were rapidly falling. "You have to get out of here, Talia," he said urgently. Getting her out was now the priority. "Come with me." He stretched out his black gloved hand.

Talia looked at him sadly. With a sinking feeling, Batman knew her decision. It wasn't so much the situation as the symbolic choice she was making now. "I cannot," she said, and with one delicate hand reached up and stroked his cheek. "I must stay with my father. Goodbye, Beloved." She stepped away.

He made to go towards her. "No-"

And then he couldn't see her at all- an explosion rocked the mountainside, and the next thing Batman knew he was airborne, flung away from the Al Ghuls.

And when he stood, there was a solid rock wall in front of him, sealing away the contents of the stronghold from him. The only way was out.

Wasting no time, he ran out of the collapsing tunnel, nearly being stopped frequently by falling rocks that he managed to evade.

The last explosion sent him flying down the mountain side, down the same waterfall as before. For a moment he considered allowing himself to fall all the way and letting nature decide whether he lived or died; but as always, in the end he pulled out his grapple and swung himself to relative safety on an opposing cliff.

He sat himself down heavily, elbows resting on his knees; he paid no heed to his many injuries, he just wanted to stay here for a minute. He didn't know where the League was and didn't want to see them right now anyway. He had another two probable deaths to put on his conscience, to add to his endless guilt. Even though Talia had chosen that path herself... he still could have saved them. He ran through the situation in his head a dozen times, finding every way in which he had failed, every way in which he could have done something more. Every single way that they might not have died, had he just been a bit stronger, a bit smarter, a bit _better_.

If only Talia had chosen to come with him. But she wouldn't. He had to realize that now. In the end, Talia would always choose her father over him. It was why they could never have been together.

After a minute or two, Batman wondered why the League hadn't contacted him, only to remember that he had disabled the League communicator in his cowl. He laughed hollowly to himself. He had almost forgotten that he had practically been kicked out. This was the last time he worked with the League... maybe the last time he worked with Clark... with _Diana_...

Suddenly, as if summoned by his thoughts, J'onn shimmered into existence in front of him. "Batman," he said solemnly, if possible a little more formally than usual. "Are you all right? We have been searching the mountainside. Your League communicator is down," he said pointedly. But Batman could tell he wasn't too upset by this.

J'onn was keeping a remarkably normal facial expression and tone, but Batman wasn't called the World's Greatest Detective for nothing- He could detect the distrust, the hesitation in J'onn's words. And if the most empathetic member of the League wanted him out, what hope did he have with any of the others?

He felt a small wave of despair crash over him but squelched it quickly for fear that J'onn might pick up on it.

"Fine," Batman replied shortly. He spotted Diana descending from the sky. Being the open person that she was, he could see very clearly the emotions flitting over her face. Worry, anger, sadness, distrust again.

"Batman," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "Are you all right? Where's Al Ghul?"

"Dead," he said flatly, although technically he wasn't sure. "And..." he hesitated briefly. "The coffins?"

Her face softened, but it was J'onn who replied. "I left them with your butler." Before Batman could open his mouth to issue a gruff "Thank you", J'onn then added, "I am going to find Superman. Goodbye, Batman." The finality of the statement wasn't lost on Batman. It was such a bull excuse anyway, they had League communicators. J'onn just wanted to leave him alone with Diana.

"Bruce," said Diana, and he almost flinched at the sound of his name rolling off her tongue, "How did he have your parents' coffins?"

He looked away, wishing she wouldn't care. It made it so much harder to leave. "He dug them up."

There was a pause. "Why?" she probed, softly again. Dammit, that voice of hers, she _knew_ what it did to him. When she used it, he almost felt compelled to answer.

He wrestled with himself for a moment. "Doesn't matter," he replied shortly.

She glared at him. "I _will_ use my lasso-"

"It was a distraction," he relented, equally softly. "To get to me. So that I would be vulnerable."

She moved in a little closer. "What did they do, Bruce?" She fingered the lasso at her side menacingly.

"They buried me," he admitted finally. "They buried me in my parents' graves." He turned away, but not before he saw the look of absolute horror on her face. He didn't want to see it, he didn't want her pity.

"Bruce," she said. He needed to get out of here. He pressed a button on his cowl to call the Batplane to his location. He felt her hand on his shoulder, and the touch sent an unwanted spark through him. "That's terrible. I... How did you get out?"

With a grim smile, he pulled off one gauntlet to reveal his bloody and bruised knuckles. "If you have a high enough tolerance for pain, nothing's impossible," he said. He had meant to shock and disgust, but Diana only looked more sympathetic; her ocean-blue eyes widened and ensnared him in their gaze. She started forward as if to hug him. Instinctively, he stepped back and instantly regretted it.

With this rejection, this act of distrust, Diana seemed to remember the past few days' events and her arms settled back to her sides. Her lips formed a thin line. If Bruce was a lesser man he might have been quelled by the sight of the glaring Amazon, but he stood his ground. Right on cue, the Batplane rose above the surface of the cliff, waiting for its pilot.

He opened the cockpit and jumped in. "I have to get back to Gotham," he said tersely.

She still stood there, and now her hands were on her hips. She was trying to maintain a strong front but Batman could tell that he wasn't the only one with the internal struggle. "Of course. The only thing you care about." That stung but he welcomed it. This was what he wanted.

This was meant to be. He had always known that this was how things would end, and it was better this way for all involved.

"One thing," he said in his hardest voice. "The Justice League stays out of my city. Goodbye... Wonder Woman." And with the expression of shock on her face, he sealed the deal. It was over. He lifted off and was gone with a sonic boom.

He had an iron-willed resolve about this, but it didn't stop his heart from falling, falling, falling... breaking again.

**A/N: Yah, Batman's a doosh, but come on, you know this is how he would react to Diana trying to break him down... R &amp; R guys!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I posted a little earlier than usual bc this is a shorter filler chapter... sorry guys :'(**

**DIANA POV**

She already regretted making that comment about Gotham. He was hurting and she'd seen it, yet she'd allowed his purposely lashing out to get to her. She had played right into his hands again and she was furious. At him and at herself.

She sat in the Monitor Womb with her legs crossed on the keyboard, fuming at the view of Earth below, when Superman walked in.

"He said something, didn't he," he said flatly, and both of them knew who and what they were talking about.

"Yes," she admitted, uncrossing her legs. "Kal, I can't- I can't wrap my head around it. He pretends to be so aloof and arrogant and unfriendly with everyone, but when he was around the two of _us_ especially, he seemed to lose his shell. He seemed to trust us." She swallowed. "But I guess I judged him all wrong, even after all these years. He doesn't trust us and he never did. Was it all an act?"

Superman was quiet for a moment. "I think you know the answer to that, Diana."

Diana knew what he meant by that. "My heart tells me that he cared," Diana said finally. There was a long silence between them as they contemplated what that meant.

"Did you know that he got buried alive?" Diana asked suddenly. "Al Ghul dug up his parents and replaced their bodies with his. That's what happened to him when we were being attacked."

Superman's eyebrows went up, and his mouth pulled into a grimace. "That's..."

"I know," she sighed.

Superman rubbed his forehead. "How does he get the most _twisted_ villains?" he muttered.

"It's strange because he didn't seem to be affected by it at all," Diana added, staring off at Earth but not really seeing. "He even made some sick joke about it..."

"He deals with psychos on a daily basis," Superman assured her. "He's probably been through worse. It's why he is the way that he is."

"He is the way that he is," repeated Diana. It was no reassurance at all. It was just another opportunity to wonder at the kind of man Bruce might have been if his life hadn't been so difficult. "Don't we have to take that into account... about his contingencies against us?"

Superman looked at her sharply. "Are you siding with him?" His tone wasn't accusatory; on the contrary, it was laden with his own self-doubt. Perhaps Diana wasn't the only one re-evaluating the situation.

"No. Yes. I don't know," Diana said truthfully, hugging her knees to her chest now. "But I'm starting to think that a lot of my anger was just my personal feelings... that someone I considered my best friend... was able to distance himself enough to consider the unthinkable about me. And honestly, I would never have done the same for him."

Superman was silent for another moment. "Now, it's like I'm not even surprised that he had these plans ready to take us down," he said. "It's just like him to be paranoid. In the back of my head I knew it. I just didn't want to believe it."

"But he's gone now," Diana said morosely. "He's not coming back to the League." A thought occurred to her. "What does the rest of the League know about this? Do you have any idea?"

"Nothing substantial," said Superman tersely. "But people weren't exactly surprised that Batman would just leave a Founder's meeting in the middle, looking pissed off. In fact, I can think of a handful of occasions when he's done it before." He laughed a little bit. "When the League notices that Batman hasn't been seen for a while, _then_ we might have a problem on our hands that we have to address."

"What if Bruce was right?" Diana whispered. "What if we shouldn't have let him leave?"

Superman sighed. "I know what you're asking, Diana. But a decision like that can only be made with the input of all the Leaguers, at the very least the Founders. If we all feel safe having him among us. It's not fair for the two of us to bring him back, not with what we know now."

Diana knew he was right, but it didn't stop her from hurting. "I hope he's all right," she said.

"We'll keep an eye on Gotham anyway. He'll be all right," Superman said, but now his assurances seemed to be more so for himself. "He always is."

"Always," Diana echoed.

**BATMAN POV- HOURS EARLIER**

Batman turned off the Batplane with a heavy sigh. He was ready to have these wounds finally properly treated and sleep for a few hours. He was drained, physically, mentally and emotionally. He would welcome the oblivion of sleep, even if it came hand-in-hand with a few nightmares.

He opened the Batplane's cockpit and jumped out. Alfred stood in front of the plane, waiting as always.

Batman looked around. "Where are... the coffins?"

Alfred surveyed him. "They've been buried again, sir," he said slowly.

Bruce exhaled and yanked off his cowl. "Then I can rest easy."

"Doubtful," said Alfred. Oddly, his tone wasn't sarcastic. Bruce took a closer look at his butler. Only now did he notice Alfred's pale complexion, his lips drawn into an unusually thin line.

"What is it, Alfred?" he asked urgently, drawing closer. Belatedly he recalled, just days ago, saying the same thing and receiving terrible news from it.

Alfred briefly closed his eyes, then opened them again to look his charge squarely in the eyes. "It's Master Tim, sir." There was a slight pause that lasted for an eternity. "He's gone missing."

**A/N: Ten brownie points if you know what's going down. Go!**

**(If you don't, well, I'll explain at the beginning of the next chapter.)**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Finished this chapter early, yay. Yup it's Return of the Joker. (If you don't know, Youtube it). Yes, it's the same. No, I'm not rehashing it at all. This chapter is a little bit of before, and the next chapter will be mostly after.**

**Haha reviews for the last ch were decidedly negative. Why did I do this, you ask? Because I'm sadistic, obviously. I love angst. I _didn't_ love Return of the Joker, I mean god it was horrible, but it never showed really the aftermath of how it might have affected Bruce. As I said to some reviewers already, there's a saying that you have to break characters wide open so that you can see what they're really made of. So here we are. (Also, because I was searching for a realistic way that Bruce would get close to Diana again. This story will have a HEA for them. Heh that's taking a lot longer than I thought.) I hope no one hates me terribly much. I know the story is starting to skew quite a bit from the description, which will have to be updated at some point I suppose. Any other questions/concerns feel free to PM me.**

**BATMAN POV**

Bruce Wayne walked into the boardroom with his usual swagger, a lazy grin playing about his lips.

"Mr. Wayne," said one of the directors in a displeased voice. "So nice of you to join us."

It had been over two weeks since Bruce Wayne had been seen in public. Bruce wouldn't have even taken off his cowl if Alfred hadn't ordered him to make an appearance. And for good reason; he was too stressed out over Tim's disappearance to want to make time for this. And Lucius Fox wasn't there, so the meeting was even more intolerable.

On the outside, Bruce's grin widened. "I always try to make time for these meetings." He heard a few snorts around the table.

"Where have you been, Bruce?" asked one of the friendlier directors.

"Oh, you know, dressing up like a giant bat, fighting crime," he deadpanned. That earned him a few chuckles.

"Batman hasn't really been seen these past few weeks, you know," said one of the older gentlemen. "Some say he's dead."

"Or, like me, just otherwise occupied," Bruce winked.

The meeting then settled. Bruce often found it amusing that his board ignored the work that he did for the company, although to be fair, he usually did it behind his office doors. To the public, he was just a figurehead; to the board of directors, he was a nuisance. It worked greatly to his advantage that people often see only what they want to see.

But today, these facts were not amusing in the slightest. His eyes kept darting back towards the clock. Only two o'clock? He had to wait at least six or seven hours until he could head out to resume his search. At least Barbara was in the cave working on it, but he felt restless. He had been having heart-to-hearts with the Justice League while Tim patrolled the city by himself and ultimately paid the price, and now he was sitting in a pointless business meeting while Tim was godknowswhere and he could not stop cursing himself for his stupidity-

"Mr. Wayne?" intoned an irritated voice to his left. "What do you have to say on the subject?"

"What?" snapped Bruce. Too late, he realized his mistake as the others looked curiously at him. He quickly soothed his features back to that of the carefree playboy. "I'm sorry, I must have dozed off. What were we talking about?"

"LexCorp," reported the man to his left, "wants to collaborate again in defensive weapons technology."

Bruce rubbed his eyes. "Doesn't Mercy Graves remember the last time we had a collaboration? If I remember correctly, our armed robots went loose in Metropolis."

"LexCorp has lost their touch," said one scornfully. "Ever since Ms. Graves took over when Luthor... disappeared." There was an awkward moment, and Bruce took a moment to remember the Darkseid/Anti-Life Equation days. End of the world and secrets of the universe and destruction. Ah nostalgia.

"Well, what does she propose?" Bruce asked. Not that he really cared.

"Rather than something technological, LexCorp wants to design a biochemical weapon, and wants our lead scientists to be part of it."

He sat still for a moment. "Biochemical weaponry doesn't sound defensive to me."

"Ah yes Mr. Wayne, we forgot your expertise from how you've spent _years_ on the battlefield," one of the directors, whom Bruce had never liked, sneered sarcastically. There were a few chuckles at the naive Mr. Wayne's expense.

Normally, he would have argued, would have kept this discussion going, but today Bruce slunk lower in his chair, suddenly completely tired with it all. "Fine. Yes. Whatever." He folded his arms, but they weren't done with his attention yet.

"All right. Next, we have to approve the annual funding we have allocated to the Justice League." They all looked expectantly at Bruce.

Bruce had nearly forgotten. After the whole CADMUS fiasco, when the League finally started working with the government more transparently, Bruce had moved his funding for the Justice League out into the open, where it was one less thing he would have to worry about being exposed for. It wasn't a suspicious move by any means; several corporations clamoured to fund the League in its renewed popularity.

Now, however, that Bruce and the League weren't on friendly terms, he hesitated, then gave in. They _could_ go bad, but that didn't mean they _had_ yet. And as long as they fought for true justice, he supported them. Not that he'd ever admit it to Clark and Diana, but he wouldn't abandon them so fully. He nodded his head warily. "I move to approve the funding."

"Seconded," chimed the man on his right, and the meeting moved on to different topics. Meanwhile, Bruce couldn't handle it anymore. He felt like he was suffocating in this pressed, white-collared shirt. Who was he kidding? He wasn't a business mogul. He was a fake. He itched to remove his Armani suit, to don his _true_ skin once again.

He stood up abruptly in the middle of someone's sentence. He didn't pay any mind as they gaped at him, but strode towards the doors.

"Mr. Wayne! Where are you going?" one of them called.

He walked out, hardly pausing to call the first excuse that came to mind. "I have a date!"

Alfred was waiting outside the building, wearing his usual bored-looking expression, but Bruce saw the tight lines of worry around his butler's eyes.

"Good meeting, I hope, sir?" he asked, opening the door for him.

"Just delightful," Bruce replied through gritted teeth.

**DIANA POV**

"What did you find?" asked Diana impatiently, hands on hips.

Flash scratched his head. "Nothing, really. A lot of boulders. Rocks."

"No bodies?"

"Not a single corpse in the whole place," Flash reported. Diana chewed her lip in thought. The League had sent a team in to India to sort through the rubble from Al Ghul's stronghold, but it hadn't yielded anything substantial as of yet.

Flash read her thoughts. "How could he have survived it? Without those Lizard Pit things, he's just a human, isn't he?"

Diana didn't bother to correct him. "We know better, Wally, than to underestimate non-powered humans."

"Ohhh," Flash said, putting his hands up in an apologetic gesture. "Sorry. Bats. Touchy topic, eh, Wondy?" Perhaps Diana's thoughts were playing out on her face, because his face blanched and with a "see ya later!" the Scarlet Speedster had zoomed out of the room, leaving a storm of fluttering papers in his wake.

In the middle of her attempts to catch them all, Shayera walked in, swinging her mace casually with one hand. Diana noted her aggressive posture. "Run-in with John?"

Shayera glared around at the room as if it had done her a personal wrong. "Like you wouldn't believe. Now he's just being an asshole." She straightened, and her tone made it clear to Diana that she didn't want to talk about it. "Did we find anything at the scene of the whole Al Ghul fiasco?"

"No," Diana sighed.

Shayera shook her head. "If I was there, there wouldn't have been a hassle, I would've gone straight for him and knocked him out with my mace." Shayera had been off-world for a different mission.

Diana snickered. "I'm sure you would have made the whole thing easier."

Shayera picked up one of the papers off the floor. "Who made this invite for the annual charity dinner? It looks cheesy as hell."

"Our organizers," replied Diana. "Why?"

Shayera read off the stiff cardstock. "'Justice League Would Like to Thank Our Gracious Sponsors At Our Annual Dinner, held this year in Star City. We would not be able to do it without you'... what a load of BS. They should've just written 'Thanks for your money, we really needed it to upgrade the cafeteria food. Goodbye.'"

Diana tried unsuccessfully not to laugh. "It's called being formal and diplomatic."

Shayera pretended to look confused, but her expression changed to real curiosity as she continued scanning the invite. "Hey... Wayne Enterprises is still funding us this year!"

Diana couldn't stop herself- she snatched the paper. "What?" Bruce was still funding them? Her mind searched for reasons that he might have decided this.

Meanwhile Shayera was voicing hers. "...Maybe it wasn't his decision? Maybe he wasn't paying attention when he signed the paper? Maybe he wants to help refurbish your personal quarters?" She sent a mischievous look Diana's way. "In any case, I guess we'll see him at the gala in a week, handing us a fancy cheque."

Diana was still gaping. "It doesn't make sense..." But inside her heart was leaping. He still cared!

Oh, if only the Amazons could see her now. She was pathetic.

"If it wasn't for you, he probably wouldn't have bothered," Shayera said, watching her closely.

Diana shot her a sharp look. Shayera snickered.

"Oh, come on, Diana. All the Founders could sense the unresolved sexual tension between you two, you could cut it with a knife. Well, except Wally. He tends to miss the obvious."

Diana abandoned pretense. "I know I never made it a secret to him, but he doesn't want-"

Shayera snorted. "Diana, I don't know what you see in him, but it's obvious what he would see in you. You're the whole package- smart, beautiful, genuine, strong. Plus, the Batman shows _emotion_ when you talk to him. If that isn't true love, I don't know what is. He wants you. Maybe he just doesn't know it yet."

Diana gazed sadly at the neatly typed words "Bruce Wayne" on the invitation card. "I know... but why did he try to destroy me?" she wondered.

Shayera sighed. "Diana, you know why. That's the way Batman is. He distances himself from everybody in order to do what's necessary. I would bet he had a hard time looking objectively at your weaknesses, if it makes you feel any better."

Diana looked curiously at her. The way she talked... "Do you not feel angry about it?"

The winged woman hesitated, then shrugged offhandedly. "I... not anymore. He was only making a backup in case we ever started wreaking havoc. I don't blame him for that. And it's better than what I did. I was exploiting League weakness so that we could weaken Earth's defenses. He was doing it to defend Earth, and defend us against ourselves." She met Diana's gaze, a guilty pull to her mouth now. "I wouldn't say he doesn't care. Maybe he cares too much."

The truth of it resonated through Diana, like something she had already realized that was only now making itself known to her conscious mind. The tension in her melted away as she acknowledged that she forgave him. A crime he had committed only to keep them all safe, because he _cared_...

Her mind strayed to other memories. Batman sacrificing his life to crash the Watchtower on top of the Thanagarian base... Batman pushing her out of the way of a rogue bus, even though she could take it... sacrificing his pride, risking his reputation to sing in front of an audience for her (how she wished she'd seen that in person)...hopelessly trying to dig her out from underneath a missile...

Bruce was the one who volunteered himself to make the unpopular choices. He was one of the best men the world had ever known, because he sacrificed _everything_\- and every hope for a good life- so that others could have that chance before him. Even knowing that it would ultimately leave him isolated.

She understood why he'd done what he did- maybe she didn't like it and would rather he hadn't, but she _got_ it.

She was so impossibly in love with him. And there was hope, indeed; when he was giving reasons that they shouldn't be together he didn't say " I don't feel that way for you" as one of them.

Shayera must have seen something of that on her face, because her face broke into a grin. "He might not be part of the League anymore, but that doesn't have to stop you. He's gonna be at the gala; go get 'im."

Maybe, thought Diana, maybe I will.

**A/N: Next chapter we will finally see some goddamn BMWW moments! :D R &amp; R!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: May I make a music recommendation for this chapter?... I wrote the latter half of this (most of Diana's POV) while listening to "All of Me" by John Legend. I personally think it's a really beautiful song, but don't take my word for it, listen to it for yourself :) Enjoy reading!**

**BATMAN POV- SEVERAL DAYS LATER**

"Sir," called Alfred from the door of Bruce's bedroom. "Are you quite sure you have that tie on right?"

Bruce looked down and saw that he had knotted it all wrong. He sighed in frustration and raked one hand through his hair. "_Nothing_ I do is right anymore."

Alfred knew what he was talking about and walked closer to gently place a hand on his ward's shoulder. "That's not true, sir," he said.

Bruce looked up, and his blue-eyed gaze was bleak. His shoulders were slumped- his posture was all defeat. "Isn't it?" he whispered. His eyes shut tightly. "I can't stand it, Alfred... What if it's too late? What if Tim is..." He couldn't even finish the sentence; his voice died out and he put his hands over his face. The weeks and weeks of constant stress were taking their toll on his spirit.

Alfred seemed to understand, his own eyes conveying his sadness. He squeezed Bruce's shoulder. "He's not, sir," said the faithful butler with a confidence he didn't feel. "He's out there somewhere."

"Why am I going to this stupid League gala? I'm not even one of them anymore, I should have just sent Lucius," Bruce said, and his voice rose with panic. "What if tonight is the night that I need to be out there and I'm not-"

"Master Bruce," Alfred cut off gently, "I might remind you that you only need to spend an hour at most with your appearance there. Miss Gordon will be on watch and you can join her soon enough." He paused. "As for the Justice League, perhaps they choose not to understand, but you must be the better person and continue to support their cause." Bruce had told Alfred all about the contingency plans.

Bruce looked up again. "I'm not the better person."

"You are," Alfred said firmly, holding Bruce's tired gaze for several seconds before Bruce finally sighed, relenting, and squared his shoulders, ready to face the evening's event. Upon seeing this reassuring change, Alfred's demeanour changed entirely, back to his usual professional air. "And this tie is a horrendous colour, sir, have you no taste at all? And your hair is a mess. I _shudder_ to think the last time you ran a comb through it..." Tutting, Alfred walked to the closet to choose another tie, and Bruce nearly smiled.

An hour later, Bruce Wayne was preparing to board his private jet to Star City when he got a call on his cell.

"Yes," he answered tersely.

"It's me," said Barbara Gordon. "You might be interested in this. We just received an invitation... from the Joker."

**DIANA POV**

"Are we set to go?" Diana asked Superman. He nodded.

Diana took another look around the room. She couldn't see Bruce anywhere, and had at no point in the night heard anyone mutter his name in a delightedly scandalized tone, as wealthy socialites seemed wont to do.

But now the time had come to begin the proceedings, and she still hadn't seen any sign of him. She chewed her lip in thought. Did he dislike the League so badly that he wouldn't set foot in here?

Superman seemed equally tense, but his superhearing hadn't yielded any results either. "We'll just see if he shows up," he suggested, then frowned. "Your hair looks different today." He reached forward and tucked a curl behind her ear.

"Vixen curled it." She pulled the curl out again. "It's supposed to be like that."

He looked confused. "Why?"

Diana felt a little flustered for a moment. When Vixen had offered, she'd almost said no but... She didn't want to say she'd done it for Bruce, because she hadn't, but his reaction was something she had admittedly been thinking about. "Just because."

Superman shrugged helplessly and turned away, muttering something that sounded like "Girls." Diana grinned to herself at his awkwardness. You could take the boy out of Kansas...

Now, Superman spoke into the mic. "Ahem... can I have your attention?" The mindless chatter died down at once. "I'd like to begin by expressing my gratitude that you fine people have chosen to support the Justice League once again this year. We would not be able to run as smoothly without your help." Clark began naming off their sponsors, and one by one they came to the stage and took pictures with Superman with their huge, showy cheques. Meanwhile, Diana stood at the side on the stage, smoothing down her purposely bland evening dress.

("You don't want to outshine our donors," Vixen had explained when Diana expressed surprise over the simple sheath Vixen had chosen for her. "I mean, you will anyway, but this is _their_ night to show off their money. We want to keep them happy.")

"And representing Wayne Enterprises... Bruce Wayne?" Superman left it on a questioning note, looking around the audience. The audience, in turn began to look among themselves. "Is Bruce Wayne with us tonight?"

"Wow, what an ass," muttered Stargirl from Diana's side. "Probably ditched to go drink himself into a stupor." Diana had to remind herself that not everyone knew Bruce's dual identities in order to restrain herself from punching a colleague in the face.

Superman repeated his question a few more times, then moved onto the next name with a sigh. The rest of the evening passed in a blur for Diana. She smiled when appropriate, shook hands, paid compliments to bigwigs. Normally she would be genuine about this, but she couldn't bring herself to be. Not tonight. Not when she was wondering why Bruce Wayne had RSVP'd but hadn't showed up.

The last of the League's guests trickled out (some rather tipsy, to put it lightly) in the early hours of the morning. The League began to do what they could to clean up the ballroom; technically there were janitors hired, but it was part of the image that they wanted to uphold. Diana half-heartedly pulled streamers off the walls and ceiling for half an hour before Zatanna approached her.

"You know that he sometimes has responsibilities more important than these kinds of events."

Diana didn't turn around. She knew that Zatanna knew about their pseudo-relationship.

"I know," she replied evenly, tearing down a banner with a little more force than necessary. "But something's not right. Call it instinct, but..." There was a piece of tape stuck to her thumb; she waved it around, trying to shake it off.

"Here," said Zatanna softly. "_Evomer_."

The piece of tape fluttered away. A thought occured to Diana as she watched it drift down. "Couldn't you just clean this place with a spell?"

Zatanna grinned wickedly. "But what would be the fun in that?" She nodded to Vigilante nearby, whose back was to them as he bent down by the waist to pick up some trash.

Diana felt a laugh escape her, and looked fondly at the magician. "Thank you, Zatanna."

"There's only one way you can thank me," said Zatanna, the twinkled fading from her eye. "Is it true? Did he leave the League?"

Diana sighed. She had known that this news would find the rest of the League eventually. "Yes... please, keep it quiet?"

Zatanna didn't say anything for a moment. Then, "I can see that you want to leave, but later, we're talking about this, you and me."

Diana smiled gratefully and exited quietly.

_~Several hours later~_

The sun was just peeking over the horizon when Diana landed outside Wayne Manor. Given the jet was invisible, she didn't think it would be too much of a problem.

The manor was as imposing as ever from the outside. It was a tasteful work of architecture, Diana thought to herself. No one would ever guess the secrets that lay behind its walls.

She knocked on the door.

She seemed to wait forever on the front step in the cool, gentle breeze of the night, when finally the door creaked open.

"Alfred!" she exclaimed with a delight that surprised even her. Her smile quickly faded when she noticed the way he looked at her.

"Your Highness," he said stiffly. His posture was straight and his expression formal, but Diana saw the suggestion of coldness in his eyes. Diana put two and two together.

"Alfred..." she began hesitantly. "I was never going to vote Bruce out of the League." As she spoke, the words rang true in her heart. "I understand why he did it. I may not like it, but I do understand. Please," she said, beseeching him with her eyes. "Trust me."

Alfred regarded her warily for a moment, and then he smiled. It was a small smile, but it was something nonetheless. He opened the door a little wider and stepped aside. "Come in, Your Highness. It wouldn't do to leave you on the front step."

Diana gratefully stepped into the house. Alfred closed the door and looked at her. She noted the lines of stress in his expression that he tried so determinedly to hide. "Alfred, is Bruce here?"

"Yes," he said slowly, resignedly. "But... I don't believe he wants to see anyone right now."

Diana's heart beat frantically as her suspicions arose back to the surface. "Why? Alfred, what happened?"

The butler hesitated.

Diana leaned forward and allowed her genuine love and worry to flood the expression of her face. "Alfred. Please tell me what happened to Bruce. Hera knows _he_ won't tell me."

The shock on the butler's face told her that her persuasion had worked. "I- Very well," he said. "Perhaps we ought to step into the kitchen for a moment."

A minute later, Diana sat perched on the edge of the barstool's seat.

"Would you like a spot of tea, Your Highness?" She noted Alfred's hands shaking slightly as he pulled out a pot, in his effort to keep a professional air in the face of what Diana suspected was a large calamity.

Alfred looked up when Diana placed her hand on his shoulder. "Alfred," she said gently. "I don't want anything except to know."

He exhaled a shaky breath. "Very well."

~00000~

Diana sat back, shocked. Her eyes were wet. When he had related Robin's kidnapping, she had been horrified enough. Yet the story had grown more horrifying and more gory still.

"Where are... his other partners right now?" she whispered.

Alfred's eyes had been closed ever since he finished the story and he kept them closed. "Miss Gordon- Batgirl- left in anger after telling me this. An hour or two after we left... Master Tim... with a trusted doctor. Something about Master Bruce 'firing' her or something of the sort." He sighed deeply. "Master Dick no longer resides in Gotham." There was a story behind that, Diana could tell, but she wasn't going to press it just now.

As if in a trance, she got up from the table. Alfred didn't stop her and didn't follow her as she made her way to the grandfather clock that guarded Bruce's darkest secret. She'd seen him manipulate it before and she copied his actions. The door swung open, and she descended into the Batcave.

What she saw scared her a little more, if that were even possible.

Bruce sat in his chair, facing the computer. He was covered in his blood-covered armour, his cowl off. But both his arms were resting limply at his sides, rather than at work typing furiously at the keyboard. As she drew near, she saw that his posture was slumped, and his eyes... were blank. The usual keening intelligence didn't stir behind those brilliantly electric blues, but were glassy. Dull.

"Bruce?" she said quietly. Her voice echoed around the still cave, disturbing a bat or two. Bruce didn't stir or even respond; his eyes only reflected the Batcomputer's screen back at her.

But what was more odd to her was that his face reflected the same emotionlessness. When he was the Bat, he had that expression, but his eyes held his humanity.

Now, she thought in panic, now he seemed almost an empty shell.

"Bruce?" she repeated again, and this time put a hand to his scruffy jaw. "Bruce, I know everything. Please say something."

She wasn't ready when he spoke. Only his mouth seemed to move.

"When will it end?"

Diana was caught off guard. "What?"

"Everything," he said.

"Bruce..."

"You know, I stopped believing there could be a God when my parents died," he continued mechanically. "Now I know better. He's there, all right. And He hates me." There was such self-loathing in his voice that Diana's own heart wrenched with the need to comfort him. She put both hands on cheeks, loving the feeling of his warm skin on hers. He pushed her hands away, and now Diana saw the familiar angry spark return to his eyes.

"Why are you here, Wonder Woman?"

Diana nearly flinched at the use of that moniker from him. She spoke calmly.

"For you."

He glared at her, and now it was the Bat standing up from this chair to stand toe-to-toe with Diana. "I don't need you," he said harshly. "I need to go back on patrol." This last part was more for himself as he began to stride away.

Was he insane? In his condition? Diana reached out and grabbed his arm. "No," she said firmly. "Maybe you don't _need_ me, Bruce. But why can't you allow yourself a little comfort from me?"

His back stiffened, and a moment later he turned again to face her, his ice-cold eyes flashing with anger. "Here's my _comfort_," he hissed, and snagged her around the waist. Before she had time to react, he pulled her in for a bruising kiss.

Diana knew he was only doing this because he was hurting, but that didn't stop her from, for a few moments, melting. His mouth seemed to fit perfectly onto hers, and a familiar heat flared between them, a heat that had been denied for years. Diana began to lose herself in it, in his breathing and his soft, silky hair, his body flush against hers in all the right places, this sense of oneness.

She came to her senses when one of his hands slid to her breast in a decidedly un-romantic way, and pushed him away in anger. The kiss had only lasted a few seconds.

"What is wrong with you?" she shouted, and instantly regretted it as the anger died from his eyes, nothing left to disguise the utter pain there. She walked back to him even as he sunk slowly back into his chair.

He laughed hollowly, and the sinister and dichotomous sound of it sent chills down Diana's spine. "The list is endless, Princess."

"Oh, Bruce," she sighed. "I didn't mean that."

"Well, you were right anyway," Bruce spat.

She folded her arms. "What do you mean?"

He sat in silence for a moment. Then, it came out of his mouth in a rush. "I wanted to kill him, Diana. I tried to kill the Joker."

Diana didn't believe him. "You didn't."

"It's true," replied Bruce urgently. Diana could see in his expression that he needed her to understand that. He put one hand to his belt and produced a Batarang.

He held it up, and its thin, sharp edge caught the dim light of the cave. He examined it intensely, not looking at Diana anymore. "I threw this at his head when I found out what he had done," he continued, again with that mechanical voice. "He ducked, but he knew. He knew that I went for the kill shot." He shook his head.

Diana's hands itched to touch him, but she didn't think he was ready for that yet. He still seemed rigid and ready to fight. "Bruce-"

"No!" he shouted suddenly, and Diana was taken aback. "No, listen to me. Maybe I should have killed him a long time ago. So many lives could have been saved from ruin, and Tim..." his voice faded for a moment but came back with strength. "I was selfish. I could have saved so many people, but I didn't, all because I needed to win a philosophical argument?" He laughed again, and the sound had an edge of disbelief. "It didn't even matter in the end... He won."

Diana shook her head. "That's not true-"

"Isn't it?" Bruce said, now staring down at his blood-stained gloves. "He destroyed us. He destroyed Tim. I always saw something of myself in Tim. He was like what I could have been if I wasn't so..." He didn't have words, just gestured to himself. "I took him in because I wanted him to be what I could never be. Happy." He swallowed. "And now, look at him. He would have been better off if I'd never tainted his life. Everyone would be," he finished, and the passion from his little speech seemed to leave him. He was utterly spent.

Diana's tears streamed down her face, but she made no move to wipe them away."Tim is strong. He got that from _you_, Bruce. He will heal. You're wrong. I know, and I'm sure all of your sons would agree, that you have been a blessing to their lives. To the lives of so many people."

"Tell that to Nightwing," muttered Bruce. "And have you forgotten how my mistakes almost got you killed?"

"I understand why you did it," said Diana firmly. "The plans got stolen. That wasn't your fault. And you of all people should know, that the day the Batman kills is the day Batman ceases to exist. But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about everything you do. The sacrifices that you make every day. People call you heartless, but the fact is you care for everyone in your city. Everyone in this world. _Every_ life is worth _everything_ to you. And because of that, I can truthfully say you have the biggest heart I have ever known. You have saved countless lives, yet you never ask for thanks. And unfortunately, you don't usually receive it." Her gaze searched his. "But you deserve it. Thank you, Bruce."

Bruce's eyes closed as the words seemed to wash over him. There was a silence.

Then he put his head in his hands. "I'm tired, Diana. I'm tired of being angry." His voice cracked. "It's the only thing I know; the only thing that drives me."

Diana felt the urge to argue but sensed that he didn't want to be interrupted just now.

His eyes looked up pleadingly. "For one moment, I don't want to be angry. I just want to _be_." She felt his eyes on her, pleading silently for permission. Permission to, for just a moment, stop being the angry superhero Batman the world needed, and just be Bruce Wayne so that he could finally grieve. She sighed. "Oh, Bruce..." She finally walked forward and took his face in her hands. He bowed his head and leaned it against her stomach. She just held him. He sat there and didn't cry or make a sound, just breathed in and out steadily. Occasionally a shudder would work itself up his large frame.

Eventually, his strong hands wrapped around her and pulled her into his lap. She didn't stop him, but welcomed the proximity. She put her arms around him and rested her cheek against the top of his head. Slowly, she felt him put his head on her shoulder.

When Diana felt a small drop of something wet trickle down the back of her shoulder, she didn't move. She knew he wouldn't want her to see him like this, as what he perceived as being weak.

To _her_, it made him, impossibly, even stronger.

**A/N: Scene to continue in the next chapter. 200+ reviews and I couldn't be more grateful and astounded at all the support. I love reading each and every one, it keeps me going. To everyone reading this, thank you so much for sticking with the story even if, like some of you, you aren't entirely fond of the way things are panning out. (Of course you're welcome to stop reading, but *pouts* it would make me _sad_) :P**


	18. Chapter 18

**BRUCE POV**

They stayed in that position, intertwined together in a tangle of arms and legs, for what seemed like forever. At some point, Diana seemed to become aware of the bloody stab wound on his leg that had become mere background noise to him.

"Bruce," she whispered, finally shifting from her position. He didn't stir. He didn't want this moment to end. Holding his princess in his arms and pretending she was his, just for a few hours.

She was really everything to him. She showed him the light in life in his darkest hour. This strong, determined, woman who was beautiful in every way, saw something beautiful in everyone else. Even in him. Somehow, she even dulled the white hot pain branded in his chest to an incessant ache.

He felt a strange warm feeling take hold in his heart. It flooded up and spilled over the sides, shot up to his face, leaving him light-headed. _No_, he thought in disbelief as he identified the feeling. _No. Not now_.

It was love.

"Bruce?" she said questioningly now, sitting up to look him in the eye. Bruce felt his features shift back to their usual unreadable state.

"Yes," he replied, and his voice was raspy. He noticed suddenly that her hair was curled. It was a good look. A really good look. He didn't tell her that.

She gazed at him with concern, and one hand was still threaded in his hair, distracting him. "Your leg is bleeding a lot."

He didn't return her stare, choosing instead to look into a dark corner of the Cave. "That's true." His tone indicated he didn't care. It felt like his scalp had grown another million nerve endings, to feel the slightest touch of her fingers in his hair.

Diana wasn't having any of it. She got off the chair and scooped him up in her arms. Before he could even say a word, she had flew him to the nearby operating table and set him down.

He sat there and said nothing, just watched as Diana found the med kit that Alfred kept nearby. She opened it and peered inside at the many instruments and gauzes. Then she looked up, and her expression was apologetic. "I don't know how to do this," she confessed. "Maybe I should call Alfred. I've never had to treat a wound myself."

Bruce couldn't help it. He smiled. The motion was uncomfortable, like it stretched his face in a way that it wasn't supposed to go. He was sure it looked more like a grimace, but if Diana's face lighting up was any indication, that didn't matter.

He supposed he could call Alfred, but wanted to spend more time alone with her, against his better judgment. It had been so long.

"I'll do it," he said a little gruffly, taking the supplies from her. She didn't question it, just hopped up on the table beside him and watched him work. She understood that he needed to close this wound himself, and on more than just a literal level.

She was too close. He felt distracted as he took the scissors and cut away the fabric around the area. Diana sighed upon seeing the wound on his skin. "Oh, Bruce... what _happened_?"

He didn't want to relive the night again, but felt compelled to answer. "Joker stabbed me," he said.

There was silence for several minutes.

"Why can't you acknowledge your pain?" Diana asked, out of the blue.

He was taken off guard, and paused in his stitching. "What?"

She nodded to where he was stitching the wound together. "That must hurt. I know it does. But you don't even flinch."

He shrugged offhandedly. "I'm used to it." That was a lie. It always had and always would hurt like hell.

Perhaps Diana sensed that, because her hand reached out and touched his arm. He stiffened but didn't pull away. Her touch was always like a balm to him.

Her hand moved up his arm, to his throat, her thumb brushing over his jaw for a moment. It then moved down, and her palm laid on his chest, right above his furiously pounding heart. He recognized the dangerous territory this was moving into. For fear of doing something stupid if this continued, he grabbed her wrist before it could move anymore. "Stop," he said, and his voice was ragged.

It wasn't a bruising hold, gentle but firm. She could have broken out of it anyway, if she liked. She didn't. She looked at him through half-lidded eyes, and with her other hand reached out to cup his jaw, to turn his face towards her.

Reluctantly, he met her eyes. Her expression was totally open, and it reflected concern and sadness and tenderness and... love.

His eyes widened.

Seeing his reaction, she leaned in, and his heart leapt.

Her lips brushed his cheek, too close to his mouth. On some level, he was disappointed when she pulled away right after that.

Her eyes were shining, and her emotions were so open to him that he felt like he was breaking. "You're so strong," Diana said. "You never give up. That's why I love you so much."

Bruce sighed, his fears confirmed. "Diana, don't-"

She spoke again, and her voice was tender. "You don't have to say anything. I know that you won't let yourself love me back, and I accept that." Bruce closed his eyes, unable to face her somehow at those words. She continued. "But I will always be here for you."

There was a silence in the cave.

_Tell her, you idiot!_ some part of his brain screamed at him. _Tell her how much you love her_!

_Don't be a fool_, chastised the Bat. _If you let her in, she will get hurt. Besides, you made a promise. And you can only fulfill it alone_.

He felt her slide off the operating table but didn't open his eyes.

"Yes, Mr. Terrific?" He heard her say into her comm-link. "An off-world mission? Yes... I'm free to help." She paused, and her next words were softer. He could tell that she was turned towards him. "I am always ready to help."

He didn't react. He was torn. He had to let her go, he knew that. Let her live her own life, rather than weighed down by his baggage. But he didn't want to.

What was that stupid saying? If you love something, set it free, if it was meant to be, it would come back to you? He almost snorted. How stupid.

He heard her voice in the darkness. "I have to go, but I'll be back. Goodbye, Bruce."

He waited for a few minutes, his eyes kept tightly shut, his posture rigid where he sat on the edge of the table. Then he opened his eyes. She was gone. He had known she would be, but he still felt a little flicker of something like regret.

"Goodbye, Diana," he whispered, so very quietly, into the darkness.

~00000~

_**"If you love a flower, don't pick it up.**_

_**Because if you pick it up it dies **__**and ceases to be what you love.**_

_**So if you love a flower, let it be.**_

_**Love is not about possession.**_

_**Love is about appreciation."**_

_**-Osho**_

~00000~

**A/N: ^I love that quote, and think it really applies to Bruce's feelings... Anyway, don't worry, this is not the end for Bruce and Diana. They will be reunited again in the next chapter. **

**I'd like to give a shout-out to all the Guests who leave a review- obviously I can't reply to them personally, but please know that I read every single one and I am so touched by your comments. :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**BATMAN POV-MONTH LATER**

Batman was crouched on the gargoyle head, watching the scene below him unfold. He'd been following this lead for weeks, and word was that Scarecrow and Killer Croc were working together on something. What, he wasn't totally clear on. But it couldn't be good.

And now the two of them were five floors below, along with their guard, loading bulging crates into the back of a van.

A drug run? He didn't think so.

"Nightwing," he said suddenly, turning around on the rooftop.

Nightwing stopped creeping across the roof and started walking normally. "What, you're not gonna comment today on how you heard me 'halfway across the roof'?"

Batman controlled the small smile threatening to emerge. Not that he would ever admit it, but he enjoyed this rapport with his original protege. "Well, I didn't want to destroy your confidence entirely when I say I knew you were tailing me for three blocks."

Nightwing looked dejected for a moment, and then shrugged and grinned widely. "I was tailing you for, like, six blocks, at least," he said proudly. He finally joined Batman at his side and looked down at the scene below them. "Barbara told me what happened," he said, his tone growing serious. "And let me tell you, by the way, she is _very_ pissed that you kicked her out. And so am I." Batman didn't react to this news at all, just flicked a Batarang at passing thug below, who collapsed without a sound. Nightwing continued. "But that's not what I'm here to talk about. How's Tim?"

Batman knew the inevitable question was coming, but he still flinched. Almost imperceptibly. But his surrogate son noticed.

"No way," he said in an accusatory tone. "You haven't even visited him, have you?"

Batman didn't answer for a long time, mostly because he was trying to muster the strength to talk in his usual emotionless voice. He didn't succeed; his words were laced with hidden pain. "I did... A few days after it happened."

"And?" prodded Nightwing.

Batman opened his mouth to speak, but found that he couldn't. He physically _could_ _not_ tell Dick about how he had walked into Leslie's private clinic and saw Tim through the door, strapped down to the operating table for his surgery to correct his facial features. He hadn't been sedated yet. Screaming, and occasional bouts of laughter spouting from him as if he couldn't stop them. His eyes were so haunted.

Bruce had felt that familiar sense of dread and guilt and found that he could not face him. And most of all, he was so, so terrified that Tim would hate him, because this was all his fault. And he didn't want to find out, so he left in haste.

And hadn't been back since, although he got daily reports from Leslie. Who kept trying to get him to come. Bruce knew that he should. He had to. He had to find out some way or another if the boy truly hated him. If he was so far gone.

He remembered Diana's words, her comforting, velvety voice wrapping around him and warming him: _Tim is strong. He got that from you, Bruce. He will heal. You're wrong._

He certainly hoped she was right. But he wasn't counting on it. Good things were rare in his life.

Instead of answering Nightwing, Batman threw another Batarang at the street lamp, causing cries of alarm. He jumped down from his perch, his cape spreading out into the bat shape. He only half-heard Nightwing sigh exasperatedly behind him before he followed.

He probably wouldn't have gone for such a head on approach, but he had Nightwing with him now. Which was an unexpected advantage, so he didn't have to exhaust his resources with a new strategy.

He landed in the middle of a throng of thugs and Killer Croc. The men were panicking in the darkness.

"Oh my god, it's Batman isn't it!" one of them yelled hysterically. "Why did I take this damn job?!"

"Weren't you blackmailed?" asked the one beside him, puzzled, before he got knocked out by Batman's jab punch.

Three of them, including blackmail guy, ran at him. On the other side, Croc charged with a roar.

Batman waited until almost the last second, then launched himself and flipped gracefully in the air, over their heads. On his way soaring over their shoulders, he took the liberty of relieving them of the guns slung on their backs.

Meanwhile, the thugs crashed right into Killer Croc. As Batman had anticipated, the brunt of the impact was with their heads, and they collapsed.

Batman threw the guns to the side and took a moment to see how Nightwing was doing. His protege had just taken a canister-full of fear gas to the face by Scarecrow.

Nightwing fell to his knees. _No_! Batman almost shouted. Abandoning his fight with Croc, he ran to his fallen protege.

He grabbed Scarecrow by the scruff of the neck, head butted him, and threw him bodily at Killer Croc, who fell back a few steps. With his bought time, he pulled out the fear gas antidote from his belt.

His gloved hands trembled slightly as he administered it to Nightwing. Not him, not now...

It had only been a few seconds, but Dick was already shaking violently. "N-no," he muttered. His eyes widened at an unseen enemy. "Please, no!"

Batman couldn't bear the similarities. "It's okay," he said in as soothing a voice as the Bat could muster as he put the empty cartilage back in his belt. "Relax."

"You, too," sneered a scratchy voice from behind him. Before Batman could react, Killer Croc had grabbed him around the waist and swung him around at the wall. The impact made his vision go black for a millisecond.

Dazed, Batman could barely make out Croc standing before him, holding him up against the wall. "Here, get some sleep," added Croc, and drew back his large fist.

It never made contact. With all the strength he possessed, he held back Croc's punch with one hand. The reptilian-like man's eyes widened. Batman gritted his teeth as he tried to hold off Croc's superior strength for just a moment longer with sheer willpower. Just so he could reach into his belt...

But he couldn't. Croc's other hand squeezed at his throat, choking him. His vision swam, then tunnelled. He fumbled with the compartment of his belt, dizzy from lack of oxygen.

Suddenly the pressure was relieved. The hand around his neck fell away. A recovered Nightwing was atop Croc's back, his legs holding fast around Croc's own throat while he used his arms to wrench his head away. Croc roared in confusion and pain, and Batman seized the opportunity. He hit Croc in the face with the back of his forearm, with the spikes on his gauntlet. Then he did a two-legged kick to Croc's chest which sent him flying back. Nightwing flipped off Croc's shoulders and landed by Batman's side.

Croc's head hit the opposing building's wall with a resounding crack and he was still, blood trickling down his face.

The dynamic duo watched. "You know," said Nightwing in an amused tone. "I don't think I've ever seen you use those spike things before."

"What, did you think they were ornamental?" Batman growled.

Nightwing shrugged. "Well, considering you dress up like a giant bat, the idea wasn't so far-fetched."

Batman grimaced. "Point taken." And then he threw a pair of bolas into the alleyway. Nightwing looked confused at the action.

At least until there was the "oof", the unmistakeable sound of a body hitting the ground. When Scarecrow next looked up, he saw the Batman looming over him, nothing visible in the darkness except the creepy eyes of his cowl. "Scarecrow," the Bat rumbled. "Where were these boxes going? What are you planning?"

Scarecrow laughed as he unsuccessfully tried to struggle out of his bonds. "You'll never find out."

Batman grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up until their eyes were level. "Watch me."

There was clinking sounds in the background as Nightwing rummaged through the boxes. "It's his fear gas, Batman," he reported. "A lot of it. In canisters."

"I don't _know_ anything," said Scarecrow, shrugging. "I'm being paid to ship my... specialty to an undisclosed location. No vengeful schemes. On my part, at least."

Batman examined the man closely. Finally, Batman said, "I believe you."

"You _do_?" Both Nightwing and Scarecrow said incredulously.

Batman nodded to Croc's unconscious body still slumped against the wall. "Why else would you be working with him unless you had to? You're both lackeys. Who are you working for?" As he spoke, he casually placed a hand over Scarecrow's fingers. He didn't need a chemical gas to figure out what people were afraid of.

Scarecrow stared down at his hand for a moment, then looked back up. "I don't know," he said simply.

There was a pause as Batman brought his face closer to his. Then: "Nightwing, I think it's time to go." He dropped Scarecrow's bound body back on the ground. "Let's round them up and leave them here for the GCPD."

Nightwing mock-saluted. "On it, sir!"

* * *

Two hours later, the Batmobile finally rolled back home, and Batman ignored Alfred standing with his tray of food and immediately pointed to the operating table and said to Nightwing: "Sit. Now."

"What?" said Nightwing. "I didn't come all the way from Bludhaven for medical attention, Bruce. I can take care of my own boo-boos -"

"Shut up," snarled Batman, losing patience. "And _sit down._"

Nightwing shrugged but complied. "Whatever makes you happy." The sarcasm was not lost on Batman.

"Master Dick," said Alfred with delight, finally having an opportunity to speak. "An unexpected pleasure to see you."

"How are you, Alfred?" said Nightwing fondly, wincing as Batman took a sample of blood from his arm. "I hope Bruce isn't giving you too much trouble."

"He does, of course, but he pays me obscenely for it, so perhaps I shouldn't complain," replied Alfred.

Nightwing waggled his finger. "Money doesn't equal happiness, Alfred. Don't let Bruce's obvious enjoyment of life fool you."

Batman rolled his eyes at their banter, a spectacle that could not be seen due to his cowl. The result from the blood scan beeped on the screen, and Batman felt himself relax when he saw that no trace of the toxin was left in Dick's bloodstream.

Perhaps he was overreacting, but... After Tim, he decided there were no overreactions. Not when it came to _their_ safety. Also the reason that he had forced Batgirl to give up her cowl.

"Are you done playing Mother Goose?" Nightwing asked him grumpily.

"Yes," replied Batman shortly as he pulled his cowl off. "You're clear."

"Good to know," Dick said in a sarcastic tone. He hopped off the table and squinted at something in the darkness. "_What_ is _that_?" He picked up the magazine left on the table and read the headline. "'Superman Ditches His Reporter for Wonder Woman'?"

Bruce had already seen the magazine, two weeks ago when it had came out. The picture was from the night of the League gala and showed Clark tucking hair behind Diana's ear while she smiled at him. They stood quite close to each other. Initially (if he wasn't lying to himself) a bout of jealousy had occupied him, until he had taken the time to logically think it through and analyze. Kent was much too far gone for Lois Lane to probably even realize Diana was a woman, and Diana... well... It amused him to no end because both looked supremely awkward, which the gossip magazine had interpreted to be sexual tension.

"Ah yes," said Alfred in amused tones. "The _princess_."

Bruce groaned and ran a gloved hand over his face, realizing too late that his glove was covered in blood. "Don't start."

"Against all odds, she sees the good in you," continued Alfred. "I don't understand why you resist, sir."

"You know why," Bruce said, gritting his teeth.

Nightwing's head had been whipping between the two of them as they spoke. "Wait, what?"

"No," Bruce sighed at the same time Alfred said in a voice that was not a monotone (which really meant he was excited), "Master Bruce has a lady suitor."

Nightwing looked down at the magazine. "Wait, _Wonder Woman_?"

"And Alfred hasn't been able to shut up about his little theory for the past month," Bruce added, falling into his chair.

"It's not a theory, sir," Alfred argued. "I saw the way she talked about you. She's quite besotted."

"'Ten Reasons Why They Belong Together,'" Nightwing continued to read from the article. "'One: Their costumes match.' Oh god, I can't read this." He flung it to the side and looked between Alfred and Batman in disbelief. "Is it true? You like her, don't you?"

Bruce looked up at the ceiling. "Most people _like_ Wonder Woman."

"Okay, but do you _like like_ her?" Nightwing pressed.

Bruce glanced at him sharply. "How old are you again?"

Nightwing looked to be in awe. "It's true!" His tone was gleeful. "I thought your main criterion for girlfriend was 'pseudo-criminal', but apparently not this time. Wow. And she likes you _back_? Now _that_ is a Wonder."

Bruce urge to punch Nightwing in the face increased tenfold but he controlled it.

"Well, I'm not gonna let you mess this up for yourself. You should go ask her out next time you're on the Watchtower," Nightwing decided.

"That's not even possible," Bruce snapped.

"Well, why not?"

"Master Bruce... left the Justice League by mutual agreement," Alfred said delicately. Nightwing's eyes bugged out when Alfred explained. Then he turned back to the Bruce, who had dropped his face into his hands. Alfred placed the tray of coffee on the table and left the cave.

"Well, you're an idiot, Bruce, but _that's_ not news," said Nightwing after a while of silence. "Anyway, apparently Wonder Woman will still have you for some reason, so you can't let this chance pass-"

"Dick," growled Bruce, his voice shifting to the Bat. "Let. It. Go."

His protege was not disturbed. "Fine. I'll drop it on one condition. We have to go see Tim. Today. Now."

Batman stiffened and he closed his eyes. He wasn't ready. Not yet. Maybe not ever. "No." His tone was firm.

"All right. So I'm thinking you should change the colour scheme of your costume to match Wonder Woman's, you know, to show her you care-"

"Shut. Up."

"Then let's go see Tim."

"Master Bruce," called Alfred distantly, "A guest here to see you."

Before Bruce could ask who, a new voice came from the top of the stairs, one that would forever make Bruce's heart beat faster. "Bruce?"

Diana.

He hadn't seen her in a month. Since_ it_ happened. And also when he realized that he loved her.

How could he look her in the eye, knowing that, and still reject her for the greater good? He wished she would stay away.

His head finally lifted from his hands; subconsciously, he pushed his sweaty hair back from his face as her footsteps neared. Nightwing grinned at the sight and mouthed "whipped" at him.

Bruce would have liked to demonstrate a certain hand gesture at his protege, but at that moment Diana finally walked in his line of sight.

Every time he looked at her, he was reminded of how gorgeous she was. It hit him again, full force like a train, when she stood across from his chair. She studied him with her expressive ocean-blue eyes.

And then she smiled.

He _lived_ for that smile some days. He was only realizing it now, but back when he'd been in the League, her smile had been enough to lift his spirits even when he was at his gloomiest. It made him _hope_.

"Bruce," she said finally. He didn't say anything, just stared at her because he couldn't think of a damn thing to say. After a moment, she turned to Nightwing and bestowed her warm smile upon him. "I'm Diana. You must be Bruce's eldest."

Dick looked a little startled at the implication of the word 'son', a term the Batclan had never thrown around very much. But as Bruce knew, things were a lot more black and white that way for Diana, who had grown up on in a very family-oriented environment. He had raised them, therefore they were his sons to her.

After Dick's initial hesitation, he just shook his head at her boldness and grinned. "Sure am."

Bruce felt his eyebrows raise and with it, inexplicably, his spirits. He had never thought that Dick would think of himself as his 'son'. It wasn't like he called Bruce 'Dad'.

Bruce took a moment to shudder at the thought.

Diana got right down to business. "What's this I hear about Tim?" Bruce couldn't help it, he flinched.

"He doesn't want to go visit," Nightwing complained like a petulant child. "I think he's afraid or something." Diana glared at Bruce. He glared back. Nightwing seemed to take this as a cue. "Well, I'm gonna hit the showers," he said excessively loudly, and walked out.

"Bruce," said Diana softly when they were alone in the cave. She drew closer. Batman was forcibly reminded of the similar position they'd been in a month ago.

"How was the League mission?" asked Bruce curtly, wanting to talk about anything _but_ what she wanted.

"That can wait," she said dismissively. "Bruce, Robin- Tim- is all alone, after everything he's been through?"

Bruce sighed. She was so stubborn. Like him. "Diana, I can't. I went once and it was... horrible. Tim will hate me, I'm sure of it. I _ruined his life_."

Diana leaned over him, putting her hands on the armrests, and got right in his face. Bruce was painfully aware of the inches between their mouths. "Bruce, stop with this self pity," she demanded angrily. "Tim is hurting. You have to be there for him. He will heal and be stronger than ever if you just get over this guilt of yours and help him through it."

"I can't let go of my guilt," Bruce said, glaring at her as he rubbed his temples.

"Then don't," she snapped. "_Don't_ realize that none of this is your fault. Go ahead and believe that you made the Joker kidnap Robin. Go ahead and believe this was preventable. You're wrong. But it doesn't matter." She straightened, but her glare didn't let up. "That boy needs his father. And that's _you_." Her gaze softened now. "He won't hate you, Bruce. I know that he loves you."

Bruce found himself ensnared in her bottomless blue eyes. Subconsciously he lowered his hands from his head. "How?" he half-whispered.

She reached forward and slowly, agonizingly, stroked his cheek. "Because once a person _truly_ understands why you do the things you do, it's impossible not to."

* * *

Half an hour later, Bruce found himself in the back of the car with Diana, on the way to Leslie's clinic in the early hours of the morning. He was honestly unable to keep a cool facade. She watched silently as he ran his hands through his hair and yanked at his tie frequently. His agitation was not helped by the fact that he was in a very enclosed, private space with Diana. He cursed Nightwing for purposely taking his bike instead of riding with them.

"Stop," Diana said finally, and she reached towards him. He suddenly went very still, not looking her in the eye but keenly aware of her movements. She simply readjusted his tie. Her hands were too close to the bare skin of his throat.

Then he felt her hand there, actually on his throat, and nearly jumped. When had he become so skittish? He had to get a grip. He schooled his features once again and met her gaze head on.

"What happened?" she asked, gently prodding his neck with her long fingers. Bruce had no idea what she was talking about.

"There are bruises all over your neck," she explained when he didn't reply.

"Oh," said Bruce. He felt a small, grim smile pull over his face. "I got in a fight."

He felt her fingers brushing his skin for one more moment before pulling away. Exhaling, he finally relaxed and tugged on his overcoat to cover up the brunt of the bruises on his neck. She watched him do this with half-lidded eyes.

"You look tired," she noted. "When's the last time you slept?"

Bruce shrugged but said nothing. Ever since Tim had been rescued, visions of the horrible place they'd found him in plagued his nightmares. He tried to sleep, he really did; he knew he needed it, especially after the extremely stressful few months he'd had. But he couldn't bear to see Tim's haunted laughing face in his dreams one more time.

There was no more talking for a while. Bruce looked out the window and tried to ignore his intense awareness of her body heat radiating a foot away from him.

_Say_ _something_, _idiot_, said that tinny little piece of heart left in his chest.

"So, how was the mission?" asked Bruce. He cursed himself inwardly for sounding so cheesy. Damn it, he was Bruce Wayne! He was supposed to be suave!

In the window's reflection, he saw her shift. "It was rough. A Civil War on another planet. We were there for the whole month trying to get both sides to talk."

Bruce was a little surprised. The first thing she'd done since returning was to check on _him_? She really cared too much.

It was simultaneously the worst and best thing to happen to him.

The car slowed to a stop before he could brood on it longer. They were here. He was going to see Tim.

Alfred opened the door and Bruce got out. Force of habit caused him to offer his hand to Diana to help her out. She looked at it for a moment, frowning; Bruce was just about to withdraw it, fearing bodily harm from the Amazon, when she reached forward and took it. The weight of her hand in his was startlingly welcome to him. When she got out of the car, Bruce didn't want to give up her hand. Her eyes were narrowed, almost daring him to keep holding on.

He let go after a few heartbeats.

She exhaled a sigh and walked a few steps away from him. He felt that familiar sense of bitter regret come over him, but what could he do?

"It appears that Master Dick has already arrived," Alfred noted as he closed the car's door; his motorbike was parked nearby. A pause, then: "Have a good visit, sir."

Bruce felt rooted to the spot as he looked up at the clinic building. It wasn't an imposing place by itself, even in the semi-darkness of the early morning. It could be said that the private clinic was an unassuming place.

It was what was behind those walls that terrified Bruce. The possibilities. The unknown of Tim.

He was frozen and unable to move, and might have remained like that for much longer if Diana's hand did not find his again.

He looked down at her hand intertwining with his, and then up into her steady, beautiful gaze. The comfort he got from her touch, from the way she looked at him, was immeasurable. It soothed the raging river inside him.

And her eyes, ever so gentle, so compassionate, seemed to say: _You can do it_.

The unspoken words hung between them, in the shared gaze, until Bruce finally broke it and stepped forward.

His hand tightened around Diana's as they walked towards the entrance.

**A/N: Yay a longer chapter! I dunno if you all can tell, but I was in less of a macabre mood when writing this. :P Anyway I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: ... obviously, things are diverging from the Return of the Joker movie. Just an FYI. :) R &amp; R!**

**DIANA POV**

Diana watched, pulling the tan trenchcoat she wore over her uniform more tightly around her, as Bruce stared through the observation window at the object of all his worries for the past two months. It was a clean, white-walled room, with a bed and dresser in the corner and a TV to the side. A bookshelf was across from the bed, filled with magazines and other reading material.

Tim sat on the edge of the bed staring blankly into his hands. Bruce and Diana (and Dick, who sat off in a corner) studied his profile intensely. Physically, he seemed almost the same as before. The plastic surgeon Bruce had had flown in was, according to the elderly woman introduced as Leslie Thompkins, was one of the best in the world, and the small crew of staff watching over Tim had been paid an obscene amount of money for discretion. Looking at Tim, you might never guess that he'd been tortured to insanity by a raging psychopath.

But you might, because his eyes gave it away.

"I'm glad you came back, Bruce," said Leslie at their side briskly. "Tim is doing remarkably well and progressing faster than we ever would have thought- no thanks to you-" she shot him a considerably nasty look that was contradictory to her otherwise kindly face- "And now that you're here to support him, he should be healing even more."

Bruce didn't look convinced; his hands balled into fists. Diana put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and his lean body instantly relaxed. Nightwing seemed to notice, quietly muttering "Whoa."

Diana understood why Bruce was having a problem doing this. He was afraid that Tim would blame him for something he already blamed himself for. And because he had so much guilt weighed upon him, just looking at Tim made him feel worse.

Leslie huffed. "Honestly, Bruce, I didn't get up at four in the morning so you could stand there having philosophical arguments with yourself." Diana was surprised; obviously this woman knew him quite well to speak to him so frankly.

Everyone in the hallway looked expectantly at Bruce to make the first move. Diana resisted the instinct to comfort and didn't try to persuade him now. He needed to make that decision for himself, and Diana did not want to be his crutch.

Bruce closed his long-lashed eyes momentarily, and then, without looking at anyone, strode briskly to the door of the room. He pressed a button on the keypad and an opaque covering fell over the inside of the observation window. Without pause, without hesitation, he flung the door open and strode inside.

"How did he know that button- oh, never mind," sighed Leslie.

A silence fell where Diana just studied Dick's profile. Finally she spoke. "How long has Tim been with Bruce?"

Dick shrugged, still looking at the door his mentor had gone through. "A few years. Bruce picked him up off the streets, but I don't know exactly how. I was in Bludhaven at the time."

The question Diana had been suppressing ever since Alfred had talked about it fell through her lips. "Why did _you_ leave Bruce?" She hadn't meant to put in the slightly accusatory note in her voice.

Dick heard it and sent her a sharp look. Just like his foster father, he wasn't intimidated by metas. "I didn't like the way he was doing things," he said vaguely.

Her curiosity peaked. Batman's methods might be a little in the gray area, but she had never thought he had crossed the line. "What do you mean?"

Dick's features had hardened. "He's become a lot colder over the years. More manipulative. I left because it seemed to me like his mission to save humanity was causing him to lose his own." He spat out the last words, but then his face softened as if remembering something. "That maybe comes across as a little harsh. Don't get me wrong- he's a good guy. Mostly." Diana silently agreed with that. "But there was too much tension between us to really keep working. We needed distance to hold us together." He laughed a little, the sound bittersweet. "That doesn't make any sense, does it?"

"Actually," said Diana, "It does."

The conversation seemed to peter out at that point, and Diana and Dick strained to hear something, anything from the room that would let them know that everything was all right. But she couldn't make out a word.

Diana sighed and pressed a hand against the cool observation glass, half-wishing she could see past it. "Doesn't Bruce know this isn't his fault?" It would make everything so much easier for that stubborn man.

Dick shrugged. "Eh. You know Bruce. He'd rather have all the bones in his arm broken than see someone else get so much as a paper cut in his line of duty."

At these words, the fleeting image of being pushed out of the way of an incoming runaway bus ran through her head, and felt her heart once again swell with adoration for this man. But this tender feeling was tinged with bitterness knowing that she would never get to have him the way she wanted. Maybe she had lied-sort of- when she said she accepted that. She _wished_ she could accept that, but it was difficult to do when he kept going and doing things that made her fall in love with him all over again.

Who would have known, before she left Themyscira, that a _man_ could be so courageous, so selfless, so caring?

**BRUCE POV**

Bruce wasn't sure about the correctness of Leslie's statement. Sure, Tim looked fine on the outside. But as he knew only too well, trauma like this left mental scarring that would flash behind a person's eyes for years, and be relived in nightmares for years after that.

Tim didn't look up. He just kept staring into his hands. Bruce just looked for a moment at the messy shock of hair that hid the boy's face, and wondered how to approach this conversation.

If things were a little different, he might still be outside with Diana and Dick and Leslie, but some part of him had made the instinctual decision to throw caution to the wind. Hell, even if the kid hated him it couldn't possibly be more than how much he hated himself. Might as well find out. So he had taken the plunge.

"Tim," he said, and his voice was softer than he had intended.

His surrogate son finally looked up; his hollow eyes finally registered something. "Bruce?" he asked slowly, as if he might be an apparition. The boy sat up straighter, examined his face. Bruce let him.

Just when he was beginning to wonder whether Tim would ever say anything, he spoke again: "You _came_." And those words were full of such disbelief that Bruce's heart broke all over again. How could he have stayed away? God, he was truly heartless.

"Yes," he managed to choke out. The next words he uttered were even more difficult to say. "I'm so sorry..."

Tim stood, but his expression was hard to read. "I've been here... so long... and you didn't visit once."

Bruce didn't correct him. At some point during their short conversation he had sunk to his knees and not noticed. "I'm sorry," he repeated emptily. Unspoken words hung heavily in the air. Bruce wished he was the kind of man that could say more. But he couldn't. He couldn't even articulate what he was feeling right now. "You... must hate me."

From his position several feet away, Tim didn't answer, didn't respond in any way, for several agonizingly long seconds. Bruce's head was bowed when he heard him say, so very softly, "I could never hate you, Bruce."

His words sent Bruce back to a month ago, when the Joker had him held by the neck and ordered Tim to shoot him.

And, of course, Tim hadn't.

Before Bruce knew it, Tim was in his arms in a tight hug. Bruce's eyes felt rather wet as sweet relief flooded through his veins and he said, "You should."

"Why? Because you didn't visit?" asked Tim quietly, his voice muffled slightly from where his head was buried in Bruce's shoulder.

Bruce pulled back slightly too look at his young charge. Tim's eyes also seemed to glisten an abnormal amount considering the lighting. Bruce's mouth worked, and he wondered whether opening up was the right thing.

It had to be, if he wanted Tim to be all right, he realized.

"It was my fault," he admitted. "If I hadn't been so wrapped up in the League I wouldn't have abandoned Gotham." _Abandoned_ _you_. "I wasn't there. I should have been." He shook his head. "It should have happened to me."

Some of Tim's old spark flared. "It shouldn't have happened to anyone," he snapped, and then his strength faltered again, and the boy put his head back in his hands. "_No_ _one_ deserves that..." His voice shuddered.

Watching him, Bruce thought to himself, that he would rather have died than see Tim this way. See _anyone_ he cared about this way.

But there was nothing he could do about that now. The only thing he could do now was be there for Tim. His arms tightened around the boy. And he swore to himself, that he was going to do everything in his power to restore Tim to the light, happy, carefree teen that had once been. He didn't care what he had to do to accomplish it.

"So-" Bruce cleared his throat a bit. "How are they treating you here?"

Tim shrugged. "It's not home, but it's okay. Leslie's great."

"That she is," Bruce agreed. The conversation wasn't an easy thing; it was tentative. Fragile. Neither was all that great at expressing their feelings.

He sat with Tim for a long time, just sitting on the floor not saying a word. Bruce liked to think that Tim got some sort of support from what meager sense of emotion Bruce had to offer him.

The door creaked open and a doctor poked his head in at the same time the privacy screen went back up. "Time for meds, Mr. Drake," he said, clearing his throat. The interruption broke the spell between them, and Bruce suddenly felt self-conscious.

Bruce stood up. "I'll come by again." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, now feeling quite awkward.

Tim sat back on his bed, and his poker face wavered. "Will you?"

"Promise, soon," Bruce said firmly. Inspiration seized him. "Tomorrow."

Tim's face relaxed, and he seemed to accept Bruce's word as fact. "All right."

And with that, Bruce turned on the heel and left the room. Diana was waiting at the door, hands clasped in front of her and smiling; tentatively, but brightly. She didn't say a word. Bruce felt his own poker face slide back on, and he nodded at her, like _Let's go_.

Just as they were, Bruce heard a blood-chilling sound from the room he had just left.

Laughter.

He whipped around, and saw Tim shaking on the bed, looking like he was fighting the bouts of sinister laughter that poured uncontrollably from inside. The doctor held him by the shoulders, trying to steady him.

Leslie was hasty to explain. "It still happens sometimes. When he's under a lot of strain or mentally exhausted. It doesn't mean anything." Bruce felt the elderly woman's hand on his arm but didn't feel comforted.

Diana was a step ahead of him. "That doesn't mean _you_ put him under that strain, Bruce. He was just trying to be strong for you; he put that strain on himself."

As if in a trance, Bruce pushed past them urgently. Dick followed him inside.

"Tim," said Dick, "Tim. It's me. It's okay, Tim!" While Bruce hung back, now hesitant, Dick pushed the doctor into the doorway unceremoniously and crouched in front of Tim.

"Hahahanohahahahacan'tstophahaha," Tim giggled, his eyes unseeing.. "I'msorryhehehe..."

Bruce was unable to speak and rooted to the spot. He felt like he was reliving it, all over again. For some reason, Joker's "Kiss the Cook" apron flashed through his mind, and he shuddered on the spot. It was enough seeing it in his nightmares but...

"That's okay, Tim," said Dick soothingly, "Just relax... Wonder Woman? What are you doing?"

Bruce saw Diana enter his line of sight, apparently having entered the room. She held her lasso in her hands gingerly. It was glowing.

"I don't know," she said a little bit uncertainly. "It just started glowing when I was thinking about Tim... I wonder..." And without warning, she looped it around Tim.

"Get that off him!" Bruce snapped, coming to life.

"Quit being so overprotective, Bruce," Dick shot back as he blocked his mentor's path. "Let her try."

The lasso glowed brighter, and Tim's laughter suddenly died away. His rigid, tense posture slumped, his eyes closed, and the hysterical grin faded into the first real smile Bruce had seen on his face since the event. It was a small smile, barely there, but... at peace. And then Tim fell sideways onto the bed, apparently asleep.

Dick gaped. "_What_ did you _do_?"

Diana opened her mouth to speak but Bruce cut her off in awe. "Her lasso has some sort of healing or relaxing power." He looked at her sharply. "Why didn't you ever say?"

She looked back at him, looking a little annoyed at his tone. "I didn't know," she replied. She stared down at her lasso as she unwrapped it from Tim slowly. "Mother said that I would find out my armor's other powers in due time... I guess this is just another one."

"But that's so cool!" Dick exclaimed, his dark eyes sparkling with excitement. "Maybe you could heal Tim all the way!" He gave a sidelong glance to Bruce. "Maybe you could relax Bruce so he wouldn't be so emotionally constipated all the time!"

Bruce glared at his eldest ward. "You really live up to your name, you know that?"

His ward looked innocent as a puppy. "What, Richard? That doesn't make any sense, Bruce."

Diana, meanwhile, was looking at her lasso like it was the first time she'd seen it. "But it's never happened before," she said uncertainly. "I think its... healing powers, if that's what they are... might be limited. A short term solution, if you will."

Bruce privately agreed with her logical assessment. Dick, however, looked severely disappointed. "Oh well. If you find out differently, ring me up in Bludhaven so we can try it on Bruce."

Bruce did not like the amount of sass in Dick's tone and let him know with another piercing glare.

After a few moments of them all watching Tim's peaceful sleeping, Dick suggested they leave and return another time, and so they did. Before Bruce could walk out, Leslie grabbed him by the arm and said with a smile, "Thank you for coming, Bruce."

Bruce felt his own genuine smile, the first in- months, it felt like- stretch over his face. It felt a bit uncomfortable, like his mouth hadn't contorted that way in a long time. "Thank _you_, Leslie."

* * *

Unbeknownst to everyone, a tiny microchip, crumbled to dust, lay on Tim's pillow with him. It had been destroyed by the lasso.

For it had been the greatest lie of all.


	21. Chapter 21

**BRUCE POV**

Alfred watched them come from where he was standing outside the car. "And how was the visit, sir?" he asked primly, but Bruce could detect the slightest note of relief in his butler's eyes.

"Fine," he replied. Before he could say anything more, Diana spoke.

"Well," she said, "I'm glad to have come with you- I'm sorry if I was intruding on a family moment-" Dick vigorously shook his head- "I suppose I'll go now." Her voice was slightly tentative.

Bruce understood what she was doing- she was backing off. Respecting his space.

Accepting that he couldn't, wouldn't love her. For far more reasons than he had once given.

"Why don't you come have breakfast with us," suggested Dick innocently, tucking his bike helmet under his arm.

Bruce shot his ward a glare, which was promptly ignored.

Diana seemed hesitant; her eyes darted to Bruce and back. "I don't know..."

"_I'm_ inviting you," Dick said firmly. Bruce inwardly sighed at the transparent tactic Dick was using; pretending Diana was coming to have breakfast with him, not Bruce. "And besides, if there's one thing I miss about living in the manor, it's Alfred's croissants."

Diana caught on and smiled hugely. She turned to look at Bruce, and he found that he just could not deny that beautiful face. He said nothing but maintained his poker face.

Correctly, Dick assumed that meant everything was fine. The young man jammed his helmet on his head, obscuring his black hair and beaming features. "Let's roll."

"Well said, Master Dick," said Alfred in his usual wry tone.

* * *

**DIANA POV**

The manor's kitchen was an expansive space, complete with gleaming countertops, silvery appliances and polished floors. But what really made the kitchen such a wonderful place in Diana's mind was the delicious aroma of baking that wafted through the house as soon as she walked in.

She took a seat quietly at the counter and simply watched the action around her; Dick grabbing a muffin from a box with one hand and rooting through the fridge with the other. Alfred tying an apron around his waist and admonishing Bruce for bringing "his dirty shoes into the kitchen, take those abominations off immediately". She giggled to herself. She'd never seen Bruce look so sheepish before. Not even when she'd kissed him on the cheek in Gorilla City.

She was drinking this all in as fast as she could, trying to commit every detail of the scene to memory. She had known the Batman for so many years, but in those years only saw the smallest of glimpses into what was his other life. It was rather a strange sight to see, these two feared and respected crime fighters acting almost- dare she think it?- like children around the old butler. He was good for them, she thought to herself. Alfred made sure to give them the normality everyone needs in their lives.

"Your Highness?"

She snapped out of it and looked at Alfred. His keen eyes were sparkling, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. "What would you like for breakfast?" he asked formally, clasping his hands in front of him.

"Whatever is convenient for you to serve," Diana replied warmly. Her affection for Bruce's most trusted confidante was growing. Here was the man that had raised the Batman, who, after all his trauma, had still ended up being a fairly good man. It spoke volumes about the butler's character. "And please, call me Diana."

In the background, Dick snorted as he drank his orange juice straight from the jug. Alfred, meanwhile, looked scandalized. "First names are only to be used for residents of the household. I couldn't possibly address an esteemed guest such as yourself so informally, Your Highness."

Diana thought of the way Alfred called Kal "Mister Kent". "I don't like to be called 'Your Highness', to be honest." She felt a smile curve over her lips. "Please, why don't you call me... Miss Prince."

Dick spoke up, his voice sounding tentative. "Your last name is Prince?"

"No," she replied. "It's just what they write on all my legal documents."

"Miss Prince," Alfred tested out, and gave her a small smile of his own. "I quite like it."

"Don't _youuu_, Bruce?" Dick drawled out. Diana hid another grin. She found it so... _cute_ that Dick was teasing his father. Just like a regular family.

Bruce, meanwhile, had been eyeing Dick's orange juice antics for a while now with some distaste. Without answering the question, he said, "Dick, that is disgusting."

"For once, I must agree with Master Bruce," Alfred sniffed. "It is unsightly and rude behavior."

Dick looked slightly ashamed of himself at Alfred's words. "There wasn't much left in the carton anyway," he argued half-heartedly. "We have more in the fridge anyway. Would you like some... Diana?"

She smiled encouragingly. "No, thank you."

Diana didn't miss Bruce smirking slightly at his son. His gaze turned to Diana, and damn her to Tartarus if those pale blue eyes, made soft in the early daylight, didn't make her stomach flip like a schoolgirl. "Croissant?" he offered, one held out in his hand.

She took it, and their fingers brushed momentarily. His skin was remarkably soft but betrayed a toughness beneath the surface. Like steel covered in silk.

He took care not to look into her eyes too long, and returned his attention to his plate, where a few sorry slices of honeydew lay unattended.

Alfred followed her gaze. "He eats like a rabbit some times, Miss Prince. I don't even recall the last time he ate one of my dishes served warm from the oven."

"Now _that_ is a tragedy," said Dick. Diana nodded gravely in agreement. From her peripheral vision she thought she saw the corner of Bruce's mouth tick upwards.

"Well," Dick continued after a while as he pushed off the counter where he'd been standing, "I'm going to go visit Babs-" Bruce's back visibly stiffened- "and hopefully get her to cool her jets. Then it'll be _your_ move, old man."

"Out of the question," Bruce said darkly.

Dick was not deterred; one inky eyebrow was raised up. "We'll see. Nice to meet you, Diana," he said courteously. "See you later, Alfred."

"If you don't mind, I will walk you to the door," Alfred said, putting down the steaming tray of coffee he'd been holding.

Their voices faded away as they left the kitchen. Dick saying, "That's really not necessary," and Alfred cutting in, "Nonsense, Master Dick..."

Leaving her alone with Bruce. She was starting to get the distinct feeling that Alfred was leaving them alone on purpose.

She pressed the advantage. "Eat," she commanded him, in the same voice she would use to lead a group of warriors in attack.

He just looked at her, and his eyes seemed to darken slightly. He was sitting on the next side of the rectangular table so that there was a corner between them. But not much else.

"My mother," Diana continued as if the tension radiating from his body was nonexistent, "told me that when I was a child, I was quite a picky eater." Feeling suddenly daring, she reached forward and picked up a slice of honeydew from his plate, and felt a mischievous smile tug at her lips. "She fed me and made it like a story. She pretended the food was a carriage, and my mouth was like the tunnel that it had to go through in order to continue the story."

The hard line of his mouth softened, and that was all Diana needed as encouragement. She grinned at him. "Look, it's the Batmobile," she teased, and brought the piece of fruit closer to his mouth. He did not move away. "It's speeding much too fast." She bumped the honeydew against his closed, perfectly shaped lips, wetting them. He was definitely smiling a little bit now. She frowned playfully. "Your car hit a wall. You damaged your car, Bruce! If it hits again you'll have to bring it in for repairs, and _then_ how will Batman get around?" She made another go with the fruit.

She was delighted when he finally opened his mouth and allowed her to gently place the fruit in his mouth. Her fingers brushed his lips, and without meaning to, she let them linger; enjoying the warmth of his breath on her skin.

Out of nowhere, he very softly kissed her fingers. So softly, she wasn't sure it could classify as kiss. His lips merely brushed her skin like a butterfly's wings. She looked up, completely startled by the action.

His eyes were tender with something Diana did not dare to name as he looked at her. His voice was quiet. "_My_ mother did the same thing." His face changed suddenly, as if only now seeing what he'd done.

Diana only realized how close their faces had become when he pushed away from her, his chair scraping against the tiles. When he spoke, his tone was professional. He didn't quite look at her, opting instead to focus on the cupboard above her head. "I have work to do, Diana," he said stiffly, and turned to leave the kitchen. At the doorway, he paused; and although he didn't turn around, she heard his voice become softer. "It- it was nice seeing you." He walked away, into the darker corners of the house, she was certain.

She sat back in her chair, trying to ignore her tingling fingers, and sighed. It had actually gone better than she expected. There was really no telling when the man would open up; he was full of surprises.

**A/N: Oh Diana, for such a fierce warrior you're such a cutie sometimes!**

**A few people were confused about the last line from the last chapter. I guess I was trying to say that even though everybody thought the Joker was gone, that wasn't correct- THAT was the lie. The Joker's death was a lie, because he still lived on in that microchip. And the lasso saw that, and, like all lies, decimated it. (or you could see it as healing Tim rather than destroying the lie. Really, I was just trying to be poetic. which clearly didn't work out... lol.) As always, reviews are very much appreciated!**


	22. Chapter 22

**DIANA POV**

She finished her croissant just as Alfred came back into the kitchen. He paused, noting that Diana was the only one there. "Master Bruce has left?" She nodded. "How utterly rude of him."

She smiled a little at that. "I understand. He's a busy man."

Alfred made a discontented sound. "You are, from what I hear, a busy woman, yet you still take the time to pursue other things." He sighed, pulled a cloth out of a drawer and began vigorously rubbing at the already clean countertop. "Such is the way of Master Bruce, to work himself into the ground and then further."

Those words had the unintended affect of making Diana remember how Bruce had been buried alive. She shuddered inwardly at just the thought.

"Well, I should probably go," she said, "Thank you for the breakfast, Alfred. It was very kind of you."

He stopped wiping the countertop and looked up at her, ever the dignified butler of the house. "But of course, Miss Prince. Please," he held out the basket of croissants, "take some to go. I understand that the food aboard the Watchtower is sometimes... lacking." The older man's mouth twitched.

Diana grinned and obliged, taking two of the croissants. Oh Bruce. "If _I_ was living under your roof, I would probably find myself becoming a picky eater as well."

"Nonsense," scoffed Alfred, but nonetheless looking rather pleased. He escorted Diana to the door, insisting that she visit again, to which Diana half-heartedly 'hmm'ed.

Then she transported back to the Watchtower. Walking through the halls was always quite a social affair, because she was one of the more... welcoming Founders. Many people seemed to enjoy her company. That wasn't to say that nobody was scared of her, because she could certainly make an impression if things got out of hand.

"M-morning, Wonder Woman!"

"Up early, eh, Diana?"

"Di! Haven't seen you in a while!"

"How was the mission, Wonder Woman?"

Diana greeted all of them warmly on her way to the cafeteria. She headed straight for the iced mocha machine. It was only eight in the morning, and she was planning on getting ahead on her mission report now rather than later. She hadn't slept. But she was far too awake from her encounter with Bruce to do any resting just now.

"Hello," she greeted the woman behind the counter at the cafeteria, and pressed the on button for the machine.

"Hi," the chipper woman replied back. "You do love those iced mochas, eh?"

Diana grinned. "I imagine a lot of people do if the cafeteria went and got a machine that made them specifically." She watched her drink fill up.

The woman frowned. "Actually... no. It was just _here_ one day when we came to work, I remember. You're the only one that uses it regularly. We've had complaints here that the drinks that thing makes are too sweet or too caffeinated. Other people get their iced mochas made by _us_."

Diana felt her brow furrow. "Really? These are absolutely _perfect_ for me..." Her voice died away and some inkling of realization dawned.

As the serving woman turned away to greet Vigilante for breakfast, Diana set down her cup and began to examine the machine, her fingers gliding over the cool metal of it. She didn't know what she was expecting to find.

He never left evidence at the scene.

She wasn't sure why she thought it was him that had got it. It could have been anyone that noticed exactly how Wonder Woman liked her iced mochas. Except that it fit _his_ personality perfectly to never mention it.

Diana shook her head, a small grin forming on her lips. He could be arrogant, stubborn, manipulative and bullying at times, but there was no denying, to her at least, that the man did _care_ for his fellow person. He didn't want a soul to know that, as it would damage his reputation. So he went and did sweet things like this, never expecting or even wanting to be acknowledged for his acts of kindness. She ran a hand over the machine again. She had been using it for a few years without ever knowing the story behind it.

A voice spoke behind her, standing out in the hubbub of the cafeteria.

"Good people," said J'onn quietly, "are like candles; they burn themselves up to give others light."

Diana turned around, the silly grin still on her face. She found she was unable and also unwilling to wipe it off. "Where'd you hear that one, J'onn?"

"It's a Turkish proverb that I heard in my travels," J'onn said gravely. Diana sipped her drink (perfect as usual) and waited. She knew that J'onn had heard her thoughts, and found that she didn't mind all that much today.

J'onn gesturing towards a nearby table so they could talk. When they had sat down, he continued. "Did you know, there was always, without fail, a supply of Oreos in the Monitor Room."

Diana was confused by the topic that had been sprung on her seemingly out of the blue. "I thought Batman hated people eating in the Monitor Room."

J'onn smiled a bit. "I think that rule only really extended to messy and sometimes careless eaters like the Flash."

Diana grinned, sipping her drink. "That sounds about right. Why do you bring this up?"

"Because, two weeks ago, I ran out."

Diana couldn't help it. Looking at J'onn's solemn face, she burst out laughing. The few tables around her turned curiously.

"I'm- I'm sorry, J'onn," she said, finally getting her laughter under control. "It's just- you sounded so serious-"

"Understandable," said J'onn. She was rather sure that he didn't understand, but didn't press the issue. Meanwhile, J'onn spoke again, his voice now softer. "You are not the only one to feel Batman's absence in unexpected ways aboard this Tower."

Diana caught on and her grin faded a bit. "Yes," she replied, equally softly. "He does have a way of making his presence known."

J'onn continued. "Green Lantern came to myself and Mr. Terrific seeming very angry about the disorganized case files. Up until Batman left us, perhaps the neatness had been taken for granted."

She looked closely at him, setting down her drink. "Does that mean you've had a change of heart? About... what he did?"

J'onn looked at her solemnly. "I maintain that it was wrong of him," he replied. "But perhaps it was wrong of us to judge him so harshly as we did. Our decisions are not always perfect in that regard, I see that now."

Diana took another sip. "Despite what he would like us all to believe, _he's_ not perfect, either."

"Got _that_ right," said a female voice behind them.

"Zatanna," said Diana warmly, pulling out a chair for the magician. "Have a seat."

"Speaking of Batman," added Zatanna, and plopped down at the table. "You owe me a conversation, Diana."

Ah yes. The night of the League gala, she had promised. But their relationship was so much different, it felt, than it had been a month ago. After the business with the Joker and Tim, Diana felt like she had been introduced more intimately to Bruce's life. Everything between them had changed.

Except the spark. That had only grown stronger.

"Let's go somewhere else. My quarters," Diana suggested.

Perhaps J'onn sensed the impending relationship talk and Diana's need for privacy, because he waved them away. "I'd rather stay and finish my breakfast," he said, and though his tone was as always quite grave, his scarlet eyes held a twinkle.

"So, what happened that made Bruce leave?" Zatanna asked in hushed tones after Diana had shut the door behind them. Her room was quite spacious but a bit minimalistic; a bed at the wall, a dresser, the door to the bathroom and small trunk in the corner that held (and hid from view) some of her prized possessions. Her personal touches were all over; tokens and gifts from friends, photos, other sorts of momentos she'd gathered over the years.

Diana sighed and ran a hand over her face. "It's a long story and I've got work to do."

Zatanna smirked and shifted her chair so that she was fully facing her. "Now you just sound like _him_. Give me the shortened version if you must."

Diana hesitated. She knew that Zatanna had known Bruce far longer than she and wondered how she would take the news. She sighed and said, "We learned the hard way that Bruce is always prepared..."

At the end of the tale, Zatanna's eyes widened. "No."

Diana plunged on, desperate to get to the end of the story. "We had no choice, Zatanna. We were going to vote if he should still be allowed to continued with us. But he left before the decision could be made." Her eyes pleaded with the magician. Zatanna was a good friend and Diana didn't want to lose her because she thought she was being coldhearted.

Zatanna's gaze betrayed nothing for a moment, and then she shook her head. "What an idiot." At Diana's look, she quickly clarified. "Bruce, I mean. I'm going to pay him a visit. Speaking of paying Bruce a visit- what happened the night of the gala? Why didn't he show?"

"It's not my place to tell," Diana said firmly. She had been trusted with one of the many secrets of the Wayne family and she wasn't about to give Bruce a reason _not_ to trust her again.

Zatanna looked slightly crestfallen, but her face quickly turned to that of respect. Then: "People are getting suspicious, you know. That Batman hasn't been seen in any sort of League capacity for months."

Diana shrugged. "He goes in deep cover for his missions sometimes. The rumors can't be that bad yet."

"They are," Zatanna said firmly. "Seriously, Diana. Aztek mentioned Batman's name in passing the other day in a conversation with Superman and he flinched. He _flinched_. That really set the rumors off. They need to be dealt with."

Diana knew that. She also knew with each passing minute that they didn't decide, it became more and more apparent to all the Founders that they had far too much doubt regarding the circumstances of Batman's resignation. Superman was usually a decisive leader, but it was like he couldn't bring himself to announce it to the League. She knew why. It would become official. It would become real.

Batman was no longer part of the League.

In her life aboard the Watchtower and conducting League business, she missed the oddest things about him. The way he swept into a room and commanded attention; his ability to make anyone fall into line; how he always made training interesting; and most of all, those rare occasions when he smiled. She took far too much pride in bringing out his smile.

Although almost certainly unintended on his part, he often brought a moment of amusement to Diana's action-filled and exhausting life defending Earth. His manners needed work; but his principles were a breath of fresh air in a world that sometimes seemed too corrupted to be saved.

And she knew, she just _knew_, that he felt the same way.

"But he doesn't want me to be part of his life," said Diana softly.

Zatanna seemed surprised by the seemingly out-of-the-blue comment. "That's not true and you know it. It's just... all his hang-ups."

"They're justified," Diana said, reluctantly.

Zatanna threw up her hands, grinning. "So? You can get around them."

Diana looked at her friend sharply. She never claimed to be an expert when it came to men- Hera knew they were complete mysteries- but getting around Bruce's shell seemed near impossible at this point. "What do you mean?"

Zatanna's grin widened. "You pretend to be crushing on someone else. I've seen Hawkgirl do it; it drives Lantern absolutely nuts. But he can't do a thing about it, can he?... But I digress. Bruce is definitely the jealous type, it would totally work if you were up to it."

Diana thought of the time she had complimented Wally's red hair the first time she'd seen it, and Bruce's apparent irritation over it. "I don't know. It seems like an underhanded tactic."

Zatanna shrugged and set her hat back on her ebony hair once again. "Just a suggestion. Where did you get that tapestry?" she asked, switching topics.

"You wouldn't believe it," Diana said, grinning, and proceeded to tell the story.

And also, procrastinating on her mission report.

**BRUCE POV**

He hadn't gone to the Batcave right away.

He had left the kitchen before he did something incredibly stupid; for example, kissing that adorable Amazon princess senseless. Then throwing her on the table and...

But no.

Leaving had done him some good, as the distance lessened his physical desire.

But, as he stared up pensively at the large portrait of his parents above the fireplace, he was beginning to realize that nothing would relieve that constant _emotional_ desire to have her. To be close to a woman again, not just in body but also in mind and soul.

He cursed himself inwardly. Hadn't fate proven time and time again that he would only bring harm upon his loved ones?

And, he reminded himself firmly, that wasn't the only reason a relationship between them was doomed to fail. For God's sake, she was _immortal_. He, on the other hand, would grow old if he miraculously didn't die in the field first. And what, would he expect her to sit by his bedside and feed him medications? She would move on, and so he would wither away far before death claimed him. Or worse, if she stayed by his side until the bitter end- she would have to suffer through the pain of her loved one's death.

For eternity.

But he was getting ahead of himself. This was all under the assumption that Diana truly saw all that he was and still accepted it. But Bruce wasn't entirely convinced she understood. She knew Batman, she knew _of_ the Billionaire, and she thought she recognized Bruce somewhere. She didn't realize that Bruce Wayne was an empty shell, merely a host through which Batman could thrive. Bruce Wayne was like a muscle he no longer exercised- nearly nonexistent through lack of use. There was no human left- only the mask.

Once she realized that, it was only a matter of time before she walked away. He didn't know that he could bear such a rejection.

For both their sakes, he should push her away. He had tried. But she had caught him at a time when his defences were weakened. He had made a huge mistake. He had given her an open window into his _other _life.

Some part of him was relieved that she hadn't run away screaming. He couldn't help but recall the honeydew slipping through her fingers into his mouth. The action, while innocent on her part, was far too intimate and he might go as far as to say sexual for him to bear. She was without a doubt one of the fiercest and formidable people he had ever met, yet she had this playful mischievousness that caught him off guard, and, if he was being honest with himself, was something he enjoyed. Too much. It was refreshing to have something like that in his otherwise dark and cynical existence.

He straightened and looked almost beseechingly at his parents' likenesses. "What would you have me do?" he asked softly to the darkness.

Silence was his answer.

Bruce knew he would never get his answer; he would never get that closure that told him that his parents would have approved of him and the way he kept his promise. And that he _wasn't_ a shame to their name and their legacy.

But it still hurt to hear that cold silence. To his overactive imagination it was almost like they were ignoring him.

So he left. Descended into the Batcave.

_Home sweet home_, he thought to himself with a bitter smile, as he tapped some keys on the computer to wake up the monitor.

A news report flashed on the screen. The headline read "Wonder Woman Attacks Civilians". The video showed Diana, her blue eyes flashing murderously, fighting seemingly for her life in the middle of a throng of people.

For a moment, panic made his heart leap, at least until he noted the date in the corner and realized it was just footage from the day Ra's had unleashed Bruce's contingencies.

His mouth tightened. He hadn't put this on. Someone else had. Someone else had wanted him to see her slumped, defeated posture, the way she swayed slightly before the next onslaught, how she was so very nearly at the edge of death.

He didn't realize how still he was standing, looking up at the screen, until he heard Alfred's voice behind him.

"Master Bruce? You didn't finish breakfast, so I took the liberty to bring it to you here."

Alfred's blasé tone didn't fool Bruce. he whipped around, and anger formed his mouth into a slight snarl. "Why, Alfred?" he asked. His hands were clenched into fists. "Why did you leave this here?" He had some idea.

Alfred knew he wasn't talking about the tray of breakfast. Expression calm as ever, he set down a tray of croissants and fruit on the nearby table. Turning to leave, he said offhandedly over his shoulder, "Just reminding you about what's _really_ important in life, sir."

And he left Bruce down there in the darkness, his charge's way guided only by the illumination of Diana's face on the screen.

**A/N: So I have a question for you all, would you all rather read _longer_ chapters that are posted less frequently, or keep it like this (short chapters every few days)? Let me know!**

**EDIT: After a few strongly worded reviews -cough- Guest -cough- I'm also feeling the need to add that a jealous Bruce is something that probably won't even happen in my story. And even if it did, it would be very VERY minor and would have no part in being the catalyst that makes Bruce finally accept her. (I never liked that trope- it makes it seem like the guy only wanted the girl so that no one else would have her. And that ain't what love is about! :P) This has been a PSA. I love reviews! :D**


	23. Chapter 23

**DIANA POV**

She was sure of it. He was definitely avoiding her.

Setting the phone in her room down, a slight frown crossed her lips. It was a stretch to hope that he would pick up the phone, but she'd done it anyway.

Three times she'd called in a week and a half. Today's had gone unanswered. Twice, Alfred had picked up and informed her that Bruce was "too much otherwise occupied at the moment to answer social calls", in a slightly irritated voice that suggested that the butler was annoyed with his charge.

And one night, a few days after her last visit at the Manor, she had been flying en route to Atlantic City and taken a detour at Gotham. She had thought, perhaps naively, that after everything that had happened, he might welcome her presence. She had flown in circles for the better part of an hour. She knew Batman would be patrolling. She also knew that she would never find him herself in the city he knew so well; he would only be found if he wanted to be.

And she hadn't seen him. Only his handiwork; a few thugs left unconscious in alleyways in his wake. Disappointed, she had taken off.

She left her room, sighing. She _had_ been telling the truth to him- she was, up til a realization few days ago, perfectly fine with being friends with him and leaving it at that. Not as happy as she could be, but fine with it. Yet he hadn't even let _that_ happen lately. She had been afraid that she had scared him off by becoming involved with his family life. Diana had hoped her blunders hadn't cost her a valued friendship with one of her closest companions.

But then she'd realized that this wasn't the case at all. She had been mistaken in thinking he wouldn't let himself love her. Unwittingly or not, he had let it happen. And it showed, that he cared. That he _desired_ her, even.

If he was _really_ so against it, he would be blocking his emotions still. But clearly that wasn't the case anymore.

She wanted him and he wanted her. And he was still going to deny himself?

Her feet took her to the crowded Monitor Room, which, unchecked by Batman, seemed to be becoming the place to socialize these days. Asides from the human workers, there were quite a few metas hanging around.

Fire sat in the large armchair in front of the monitors, but her attention was severely divided between duty and the scarlet-clad speedster leaning against the keyboard. The glass wall that gave a breathtaking view of Earth was blocked by Elongated Man and Plastic Man, who were having a heated dispute over who could stretch their bodies the farthest. Etrigan was playing peacemaker between them, but saying nothing and looking thoroughly bemused. The expression was odd to see on his face. Green Arrow and Black Canary, wrapped together in a corner of the room, had abandoned subtlety entirely and perhaps rivalled Aquaman on how few times they needed to come up for air.

Batman would have a fit, she thought, and smirked.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Superman, coming up behind her.

She turned her grin to her other best friend. She noted that he looked a bit tired. "Just the general lack of professionalism on display here." She frowned. "Shouldn't we get a handle on that? It could affect our performance."

Superman sighed and ran a large hand over his face. "I know. I've tried, but this" he gestured to the scene around them, "keeps happening again. So far it doesn't seem to be posing a huge risk, especially since villains have been on the down-low lately, but when it does happen I'll need to address it... Along with that _other_ thing." Diana read between the lines; the Batman thing.

"Maybe instead of being Mr. Nice Guy, you should try being more strict. Like that dictator we met in the Middle East last year," she suggested mischievously. "His methods seemed to work quite well to keep his citizens in line for what, thirty years?"

Superman managed to muster a half-smile as he looked down at her. "Yeah, that didn't end up too well for him when we were done, did it?" He shook his head at the silliness of it all. "I'm going to sit down. I have a lot of paperwork to look through."

It was only then that Diana noticed the massive stack of paper tucked under his arm. "What is all that?"

He pulled out an envelope from the pile. "Evidence to sift through. Reports to file. News to investigate. But here, take a look at this."

Diana opened the envelope; inside were photos. A few were of the scene in India after Al Ghul's fortress had, well, blown up. One picture featured a closeup amongst the dusty rocks; a peculiar looking throwing knife with a crest on the handle. Diana looked up at Superman, confused, and he prodded another photo. She looked closer. This was a different scene- a city street at night. A knife with the same crest lay in a puddle of rainwater, it's wet handle glistening in the moonlight.

"Where's this?" she asked curiously.

"Bludhaven," replied Superman, watching her reaction. "The Flash brought a team to stop a large drug bust in the suburbs. Question was with them and found this knife. He recognized the similarity."

Another smile tugged at Diana's lips. "And probably somehow connected it to that peanut butter conspiracy he was talking about the other day. Go on."

"I think it's safe to assume that Al Ghul's organization was involved," Superman continued. "Sloppy of them to leave evidence behind, but still. And that's not all. It wasn't just some ordinary drug bust. These weren't drugs. They were some sort of chemical." He tapped another photo in Diana's hand. "According to our database, something derived from a rare flower in East Asia. It induces fear."

Diana's eyes widened. "Like what happened to Shayera. Hasn't... Batman dealt with that sort of thing before?"

"Yes," said Superman slowly. Neither were keen on bringing the Dark Knight into the case. "But this truck wasn't headed for Gotham, it was headed for Metropolis. We don't know why. But we are going to find out." The way he enunciated _we_ told her he was definitely excluding Batman from the equation. Perhaps it was a matter of pride. Either way, this case wasn't something she'd be chatting about with Bruce any time soon.

Not that she'd be chatting with Bruce any time at all. She remembered Zatanna's words. She knew some women did that kind of thing. But playing with someone's affections just to get at someone else seemed cold to her.

"Diana? Diana?" Diana was brought back to the world of the living by Superman, who now had another paper held in his hands. "Seems like you checked out there for a second. Did you know Wayne Enterprises is doing business with LexCorp?" His sky blue eyes narrowed as he scanned the page. "After what happened before? I swear he's doing this on purpose to mess with me..."

At another time, Diana might have asked what had happened before, but today she was thinking about something else.

Maybe one more attempt to get through to Bruce. And then, if he still did not relent, she would move on with her life. She would finally really accept that they could never be anything more than friends. It wouldn't be easy, but she would. One last effort for him. For her.

**BRUCE POV**

Bruce was not having a good day.

It had all started in the early hours of the morning. He'd been on patrol and ran into Zatanna, who proceeded to chew him out about the whole League fiasco those months ago. Being yelled at by a beautiful woman on a rooftop did not do great things for his image, and once the conversation veered dangerously towards the topic of Diana, he'd had to get rid of her fast. To her credit, she had handled the first few barbs very well. She'd finally cracked when he added that the problem she was talking about was "old news to everyone except you. Maybe you should look in your crystal ball more often." She had swore at him and vanished in a puff of smoke, but not before casting a spell that made a large "bang" sound which alerted Poison Ivy to his presence.

Ivy had gotten away, but he had other things to worry about. He would have to apologize to Zatanna somehow. Maybe buy out one of her shows and get all the big leaguers in Gotham to go in his stead.

Then Nightwing had shown up and said he'd finally convinced Barbara to come to the Manor next week to talk to Bruce. Batman had told Nightwing in no uncertain terms that there was no way in hell. An argument had ensued between the two stubborn men, broken only by the distraction of a mugging nearby.

And now, here was Bruce Wayne in the Wayne Tower elevator, trying to loosen the tie that was apparently attempting to throttle him while holding a phone conversation with someone down in Biotech division.

"On whose authorization?" he was currently yelling into the phone. "Mine?! I said _Whatever_! That's hardly concrete affirmation to go ahead with a huge collaboration with LexCorp." He paused, listening to the man on the other end trying to keep his job. He sighed, only wanting to salvage the situation. "Shut it down. Yes, that's what I said. _Shut it down_. The whole project. We're having no involvement in weapons making." And with that, he tucked his phone back into his pocket and weakly attempted to tug at his tie again.

_This is how I die_, he thought to himself. _Not Ra's. Not Two Face. Not even some punk with a gun. But a tie with blue stripes on it_. He wasn't quite sure how he had gotten in such a whimsical mood. Perhaps the meagre two hours of sleep he'd gotten today had something to do with it; he was running on caffeine.

After everyone else in the elevator had already drifted off at lower levels, he gave up with the tie, accepting death by strangulation, and stepped out on the topmost floor.

"Morning, Wendy," he said in his most chipper Bruce Wayne voice to the secretary. "Any messages?"

The dark-skinned woman looked up at him, unperturbed by all his handsome playboy charm. Which was, of course, why he had hired her. After the last one had tried to "accidentally" pull his pants down while she was tripping, he had decided to go the safe route this time around. " A Miss Vreeland called about shopping and the Chairperson for the Wayne Foundation Fair wants to confirm something with you, but nothing urgent, Mr. Wayne," she said dryly. "Your twelve o'clock is waiting, though, in the Boardroom."

Bruce feigned confusion until she clarified. "The _Board_ meeting, Mr. Wayne." As he smiled in thanks and walked towards the doors, he heard her sigh and say, "_Honestly_..."

His entire demeanor changed when he walked into the Boardroom- he couldn't help but have a scowl on his face. "I don't want anything else involving that 'defensive biochemical weaponry' anywhere near my company," he said in a deadly voice at his Board before they could even say a word. "I never gave the green light on that and I never will. I already gave the order to shut the operation down and if anyone has a problem with that, they can clear out their desks." His voice had risen in volume as he'd spoken.

They all looked stunned at his harsh language, and Bruce took a moment to reign himself in. He hardly ever showed anger in public unless it was to further his drunken idiot image. In fact, the last time he recalled yelling at his staff was when he'd caught wind of that clear cutting operation in the Amazon.

"I'm sorry." He cleared his throat, his chipper tone back, and leaned a hand against his chair as he went to sit down. "I... don't condone weapons."

Lucius Fox gave him a smile. "Understandable, Mr. Wayne."

There was an awkward moment, where everybody just stared ahead, perhaps a little shellshocked. He sighed inwardly. It would take longer than usual to make this memory fade away from their minds. Or rather, it would take a few more women than usual.

"Let's just get this meeting started," Bruce muttered. He looked down at the agenda. First thing was 'Presentation of Donation to Justice League Rep'. He squinted. "What's this?"

"It was a last minute addition to the agenda," one of the Board members replied. "Wayne Enterprises never did get to give the cheque to the Justice League."

Suddenly the door to the Boardroom opened and Wendy poked her head in. "Wonder Woman has arrived," she announced in a slightly flustered voice. "Shall I send her in?"

**A/N: the overwhelming response has been to keep the updating the way it's been going so that's what's gonna happen. Also I se****e we've hit the 300+ review mark and wow wow wow ... Never would have expected this. Thanks so much to all of you, I am so grateful for every single reader!**


	24. Chapter 24

Bruce sat back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. "Yes," he said. Of course. Now this was going to be awkward; especially since he never answered her calls. _I'm busy. I'm working on a case. I'm about to go out._ It wasn't lost on Bruce how Alfred always parroted his excuses to the phone in a slightly sarcastic tone, something too subtle for most people to notice.

It wasn't that he was avoiding her, exactly. He just needed some time to think. After Alfred had left the Batcave that day, he had actually entertained the thought of a relationship with Diana. His heart had lifted involuntarily just thinking about it. Waking up to her smiling face every morning?

It sounded too good to be true.

He'd had to remind himself of all his reasons, but it seemed that every time he did, his argument just seemed weaker and weaker. Alfred had just attempted to tell him that technically, Diana could die any day as well. She wasn't invulnerable just because she was physically ageless. He had many, many regrets that burdened him day in and day out, but he had reluctantly come to the conclusion that Diana just might become his _biggest_ regret.

Bruce's logic was beginning to falter in a bad way. He didn't want to lose control with her at the wrong moment- something that seemed more and more likely these days- without thinking it through.

"Thank you, Wendy," he heard Diana say from right outside. A photographer walked in, and she followed. Bruce had to clench his teeth together to stop his jaw from dropping.

Instead of her traditional uniform, she wore a very, very short strapless blue dress that hugged all her generous curves and matching stiletto heels. Her hair was pinned up and curled just like that night of the gala. In her slender hand, she held a silvery clutch purse.

In short, she was absolutely stunning. And every other hot blooded male in the room was noticing too- widened eyes, slackening jaws.

He'd never seen her in such a dress. Technically it was more clothing than she usually wore but somehow, with her standing there with a slight smirk on that perfectly kissable mouth, her hand resting on her hip, this seemed more _provocative_.

Because of his absolute surprise, there was a milllisecond delay for him to get into his Playboy personality.

"Wonder Woman, I'm so glad you could make it," he drawled lecherously, rising from his chair. Someone- he didn't look away from her beautiful form to see who- handed him the large cheque. "I understand you want something _big_ from me."

Diana surveyed him for a moment, then returned his smile with a condescending one of her own. She was getting to be pretty good at acting herself. "I've never gotten an ego as a present before, but there's a first for everything, I suppose." Bruce heard Lucius laugh and then quickly disguise it as a cough. "And please, call me Diana. But I'm really here for the donation Wayne Enterprises is giving the Justice League. As a representative, I can't tell you just how much we appreciate your generosity. It's a pity you couldn't come to the celebratory gala, Mr. Wayne." Her eyebrow raised.

Bruce shrugged, trying to look repentant. "I was truly going to... someone- I mean, something came up." And he grinned rakishly again, doing his best to repel the images of what had really transpired that night from his mind. "Never mind that now, let's just get a picture."

Diana sauntered closer. Those heels made her legs look miles longer than usual. He couldn't take his eyes off, which was convenient for his image.

Bruce held up the giant check so that she could hold it as well. She put her hand on it and looked up at him with those sultry half-lidded eyes. "You are the most gorgeous woman I have ever met," he half-whispered once the cameraman's flashes started going off.

"Abandoned subtlety all together, have you, Mr. Wayne?" she said politely, although her tone was light.

"Any man would, once they got a good look at you," he said. His Bruce Wayne voice slipped slightly. It was enough for her to notice, though; she frowned.

Thankfully, before she could think too much on it, the photographer spoke. "You know Wonder Woman, Mr. Wayne?" he asked excitedly. Some fodder for his magazine.

Bruce put an arm around Diana's waist. He felt her stiffen at his touch as he said, "We're... _familiar_." He felt the expectant gazes of the people around him. Bruce Wayne, playboy billionaire, wouldn't pass up this opportunity with possibly the sexiest woman alive. And Diana knew it. Why else would she wear a dress, when coming in uniform would be so much more appropriate as a League representative? For God's sake, she was toying with him. And he had no choice but to play right into her hands. He sighed inwardly.

"How about lunch, Wonder Woman?" he said to her. "Right now. Cafe across the street."

One dark eyebrow of hers raised. "I..."

"Just lunch," he reiterated with a reassuring smile. She shrugged, her outward reluctance completely missed by the incompetent and blissfully ignorant Bruce Wayne. But not by _him_. "I would love to," she said.

"Good," he said jovially, and turned to the photographer. "Have them put that on the Gazette's front page, will you?... I can finally get some good press, for once." That earned him a few laughs.

Bruce turned to the rest of the Board with an apologetic smile. "Please go on with the meeting. Don't wait on me."

"Oh, we wouldn't dream of it," he heard someone mutter.

He pretended not to hear, and offered Diana his arm. "Shall we?"

**DIANA POV**

Bruce didn't say a word to her as they left the boardroom. Wendy, Bruce's secretary, looked up from her typing to give Diana a warning look.

Diana knew why. When she'd walked into the office, the professional looking woman had risen from her chair with widened eyes.

"You're... Wonder Woman?" she had asked, hoarsely.

Diana had smiled. "Please, call me Diana. May I ask _your_ name?"

"Wendy," the young woman had managed to gasp. "D-Diana, can I just say that I am a huge fan-" And had proceeded to gush for a straight minute.

When Diana had mentioned that she was accepting the check from Mr. Wayne, Wendy had looked her over and then shook her head. She had caught Diana's arm. "Don't feel pressured to go out with him just because he's donating to the Justice League," she whispered. "I know him, he's sort of an asshole and you're beautiful so he _will_ ask. Everyone will understand if you say no."

She hadn't, of course, for more reasons than one. And now, looking at his handsome profile, she was rather glad.

"If I have any appointments for the next two hours, cancel them, will you, Wendy?" he said as they stepped into the elevator together.

Wendy's expression was that of ultimate distaste. Then the door slid closed.

Bruce didn't let go of her arm, surprisingly. In fact, his brainless grin was maintained as well. She was a little puzzled initially, until she noticed the small camera in the corner of the elevator.

She decided to play along. "Two hours?" she said dryly. "You're quite sure of yourself."

His smirk widened. "No, I'm sure of _you_." Diana would have liked to smack that grin off his face. His playboy personality was amusing in small quantities and she respected the charity work he did, but today, in her impatience, she was finding him a bit nauseating.

He didn't say anything else to her when they finally stepped out of the elevator. The greetings to Bruce Wayne, however, came from all sides, and he answered them in his most genial voice.

His large hand was on the small of her back, burning her skin through the thin dress as they walked into the little cafe; the sign read in a simple font, Biscuits &amp; Tea. There were a few people inside, spread out around the tables chatting.

A woman at the front counter looked up and smiled genuinely. "Hello, Mr. Wayne! Brought your latest lady friend _here_?"

"I like to impress them as early as possible," Bruce remarked as he pulled up a chair for Diana at the table in the corner, far away from anyone else. "Can we get some coffee?"

The woman laughed. "Oh, you do like to flatter. You like your coffee black, correct?"

Bruce nodded. "And an iced mocha for the lady, please." Diana was conflicted as to whether she should feel offended that he had ordered for her without asking. She shoved the thought into the back of her mind; she had more pressing questions.

The waitress nodded and disappeared into the kitchen.

It was then, almost immediately, that his face fell out of its silly expression and turned cold.

Ah. Here was the Bat.

"I'm sorry for that, back in the elevator," he said, adjusting his tie. "Bruce Wayne says the same 'two hours' line to all the women he woos in the office. To not do so with you, would be strange."

Who would have thought. "And you wouldn't want to confuse the security people watching the footage," said Diana wryly.

"No," he agreed, missing or more likely ignoring her sarcasm. "I have cameras on _them_, too, little do they know."

"How many cameras around this city do you have, Mr. Wayne?" Diana inquired, leaning across the table to get closer to his face.

He looked a little caught off guard for a moment, Diana noted with satisfaction. Then his poker face resumed. "I have cameras _everywhere_," he said. His voice was a little lower than usual for Bruce Wayne.

"_Everywhere_," Diana repeated. With a mock-frown, she looked down at the blue dress she was wearing. "I certainly hope not."

Bruce caught on and laughed. Unlike usual, it was actually a normal-volume laugh. He immediately brought a hand over his face as if trying to smother it away.

"No," she said, catching his hand in hers and pulling it away from his face. "Don't do that."

The aftereffects of the laugh still showed on his face. A small smile, a twinkle in those light blue eyes. She wanted to capture that expression of momentary joy somehow. Make herself remember it. He was even more striking than usual when he smiled.

Bruce tried to pull his hand away, his grin fading now. She didn't let go of his hand. "Your smile is beautiful," she said honestly, looking straight into his eyes. "I wish more people could see it."

Bruce's eyebrows shot up; his mouth opened, then closed again. He didn't seem to know what to do with himself at that. In fact, Diana's keen eyes detected the _slightest_ blush steal over his features. It made her giddy. The playboy? Blushing?

She leaned even closer, now stroking his hand with her fingers. She was well aware of how tense he was becoming. His eyes were trained unnaturally still on her face; she was amused at how he refused to look at her cleavage. "Made you speechless, did I?" she said softly. And then suddenly leaned back, letting go of his hand. "Are there cameras in _here_?"

She didn't miss the slightest exhalation of breath that left his perfect lips, the frustrated tug at his tie, the conflicted emotion in his hand when he ran it through his thick dark hair. Mmm. Diana remembered when she had first come to Man's World and met the Batman, she had thought he must be horribly disfigured underneath that mask, why else would he hide his face and be such a killjoy all the time? A coward, just like all men. She quickly found out how far from the truth this was- he became the first evidence that even human men could be noble. And he was the noblest of them all.

The fact that he was a perfect male specimen helped, too.

"Of course," Bruce said with a slight edge to his voice. "I just disabled them. The 'Biscuits &amp; Tea'" he nodded at the small cafe- "Is one of my many go-to places in Gotham City. I've been friends with the owners for years. I have complete control over every function in this building. For example, I turned off the cameras when we walked in here. The walls are almost totally soundproof." He grew serious. "So we could talk."

"Yes, talk," Diana said. "I heard you yelling at your staff back in the Tower. What was that about?"

Bruce frowned and waved his hand around vaguely. Back in his element, his body language seemed to relax a little bit. "They deserved it for not taking me seriously the first time around."

"Now I wonder why someone wouldn't take Bruce Wayne seriously," Diana replied with a grin.

Bruce pretended to look anxious. "It's the cufflinks, isn't it? I just _knew_ I shouldn't have worn these tacky things." Diana giggled. She loved drawing out the humorous side of him.

The waitress came out of the kitchen with their drinks. "Anything else?"

Bruce glanced at Diana; she shook her head. "No."

When the waitress had departed, his face grew solemn again; his humor never lasted very long. She was going to have to work on that.

"How's Tim?" she asked.

He ignored her question. "What do you want, Diana?"

She looked at him innocently through her lashes. "What do you mean?"

His gaze hardened and his voice dropped an octave. "Why did you come here?"

"_You're_ the one who invited me to lunch," pointed out Diana. She was having way too much fun with this. Bruce's mistake was trying to defend himself using the Bat. But Diana had dealt with the Bat for years. She knew exactly how he worked and how to agitate him.

His jaw ticked. "I know there's a reason you wore that dress to get a goddamn check from me. You wanted this to happen. Why?" He tugged at his tie again.

Diana abruptly reached forward and yanked him towards her by his tie, forcibly making him lean in. Ignoring his raised eyebrows, she loosened it carefully, letting her fingers brush over his throat a moment. He let out a small breath but his hard gaze did not let up. She continued, still holding him fast by his tie. "Stop playing with your tie and listen to me. I'm going to be frank with you. I have wanted to be with you for a very long time; you know this. And I've thought about _all_ your stupid reasons and I've decided that _all_ of them can be crossed off. Dating within the team is totally okay. Huntress, Question. Canary, Arrow. Yes you've got issues. Do you think I don't know that? I don't care. And I don't know if you've noticed, Bruce, but I'm Wonder Woman. I can _handle_ myself against your enemies. I think you need to stop being such a stubborn idiot and-"

"Yes," he said. The entire time she had been raging, he had sat there. His nose two inches away from hers, icy eyes calculating, with his pokerface fully employed.

Meanwhile, her hold on his tie loosened. "Yes?" she repeated, bewildered.

A slight smirk played about his lips as he watched her confusion. "I'll take you dancing. That's what you wanted, right?"

"I- I-" Diana uttered, eyes wide. She was so very caught off guard at the moment. It was rather like she had been playing a particularly passionate game of Tug-Of-War and her opponent had suddenly just let go. "I don't know," she confessed, staring into his blue eyes only inches away. They betrayed nothing. "I honestly didn't think I would get this far."

He grinned rakishly, channelling the playboy. "Well, you have. Does next week work for you?"

She looked at him, trying and failing to understand his change of heart. Mulling it over. Then, "I don't want to go dancing with you."

His eyes registered a brief hint of surprise. Before his expression shut down again, she thought she saw a bit of hurt in it. He tried to pull away, but she kept a firm grip on him.

"What I mean," Diana hurried along, not wanting him to over think the comment, "is I don't want to go dancing, I want to do something else with you."

The muscles along his broad shoulders relaxed a bit and his gaze became hooded. "What do you want to do with me, Princess?"

One minute, he was saying no and ignoring her, the next he was saying yes and was flirty. She couldn't figure him out. She ignored the innuendo, even as the way he spoke 'Princess' was sending butterflies through her gut. A thought occurred to her. "The Wayne Foundation Fair. Isn't that happening next week?" She'd seen a poster for it on her way through Wayne Tower.

One inky eyebrow of his shot up. "You want to go to the fair? With the rides and the carnival games? Why?"

"I've never been to such a thing," she explained. "It sounds very casual and informal. I would like to see such festivities for myself." She glared at him. "Also, I get the sense that this isn't a date to you, so dancing wouldn't be very appropriate for it, would it now?"

Bruce shrugged, his expression unreadable. "The jury's still out on that."

Diana maintained her glare, debating whether to try and get a straight answer out of him, but decided that she'd pulled him out of his shell far enough for one day.

Suddenly, they heard a scream outside. Both their heads whipped towards the window in unison. Diana was alarmed to see a large semi truck careening towards a small car parked to the side of the road.

It was going far too fast- a careless driver was about to get someone killed. "Hold this," she said abruptly, standing and thrusting her purse into his hands. He didn't object.

* * *

When she returned a few minutes later, her updo fallen out, her dress torn, and covered in dust, Bruce still lounged in the same position, but was now sipping his coffee. Diana grinned at the sight of her purse dangling off his Rolex-clad wrist.

He raised his head to look at her, swallowed, and said, "It's cold." He actually sounded dismayed.

Diana grinned at the sight of him. "And then there's you, just sitting there while I take care of the crisis."

He set down his drink. "It's not the first time."

"Ah yes," said Diana. "I seem to remember when Audrey got kidnapped, you were eating olives at the refreshments table while I did all the work."

"What can I say? I'm a slacker," he said. His eyes darted towards the windows. "Your little rescue mission attracted quite a bit of attention."

Diana followed his gaze. Everyone on the street was staring at them. Everyone in the _restaurant_ was looking at them.

"You're _Wonder Woman_?" squeaked the waitress, dropping her tray with a resounding crash.

Diana sighed. She would have liked to stay and chat with Bruce a little bit more- He surprised her pleasantly every time _he_ appeared instead of the Bat- but it seemed like it would all be for naught anyway. "I'd better go."

He handed her the purse and her iced mocha. "This is probably going to be all over the gossip magazines tomorrow," he said apologetically. His voice was the same, but his expression had changed again because of the attention- his eyes were vacuous, his smile lazy.

Diana shrugged; she found the magazines to be amusing rather than irritating most of the time. Unless, of course, they were insulting Bruce, which was too often the case. "That's all right. I've got to head back to the tower now so..."

"Okay," he said loudly, and without warning leaned forward, put his hand on her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek. His cheek, his slight amount of stubble, rubbed against her skin in a way that left her... wanting. So very softly, she heard him breath into her ear, "Sorry." One beat later, his warm breath was no longer on her skin and he had strode away. Out of the cafe and gone.

She stood there in shock a moment, almost as shocked as the people around her.

Oh yeah. This was definitely going to be in the gossip magazines. Hera, what was that man doing?

* * *

**BRUCE POV**

Bruce wasn't quite sure what he was doing. His "yes" had come from a bout of recklessness, out of nowhere. The only thing he was sure of as he made his way back to his office, humming while Wendy looked on with raised eyebrows, was that he was awash in a feeling of lightness from his encounter with Diana.

He knew he shouldn't be. This would only end badly.

He knew this was leading her on, he knew that this was him pretending they could have a functional life together, he knew that this would only end in disaster.

But as he found, that day, he just _didn't care_.

**A/N: Do you guys remember that song "betcha never" from Mystery of the Batwoman? Yeeah... stuck in my head. Reviews are always appreciated :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**DIANA POV**

Diana knew the secret was out as soon as she left her quarters after eight blissful hours of sleep.

No one spoke to her in the hallways, exactly, but everyone seemed to be giving her peculiar glances. People looking put off. Looking curious.

She was headed for the cafeteria when her comm link activated.

"Superman to Wonder Woman," a stern sounding Superman said. She hmmed her acknowledgment. "Good to see you up. Meet me at the Monitor Womb in five." He switched his link off.

"Oh, I'm not busy right now, thanks for asking, Superman," she muttered sarcastically to herself. Superman seemed to be a little off today as well; probably the strain from having so many things piled on his plate after Br... Batman left.

When she got there, ignoring the curious attention she was receiving, Superman was waiting, arms crossed. He pressed a button on the wall and the doors closed.

"I just thought you might want to tell me in private about" He threw a magazine down on the table- "this."

Diana peered at it as though it was a small animal that she had never seen before. The front page of a celebrity magazine, splashed with the image of her in her torn and dirtied blue dress being kissed on the cheek by Bruce. The headline screamed 'Aaand Wonder Woman finally falls for... _BRUCE WAYNE_?!'

Diana straightened again. "Wow," she said nonchalantly. "You know, from this angle, my dress doesn't actually look to be in such bad shape."

Superman's arms were back to their folded position. "Let's cut formality, Diana. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

She mirrored his crossed arms. "Yes, actually, I do. He's a good man."

His brows furrowed. "Diana, he's a renowned playboy. He thrives off _breaking womens' hearts_. He's said himself that he doesn't have time for relationships, because he's married to his job. What makes you think you're any different from any of the other girls he's cast away?"

Diana's temper snapped. Without even knowing how she got there, she had punched Superman across the jaw. His head whipped around from the blow.

"Because I respect myself," Diana snapped, hands now on hips. "If I thought even for a second that I was only there as his arm candy, do you really think I would be there at all? I may have come from an island of women but I'm not an idiot, Kal, which is more than I can say for _you_ right now."

Superman rubbed his jaw thoughtfully while listening to her spiel, and when she finally took a breath he jumped in. "You know, I'm actually more reassured now... I just needed to hear it from you."

There was a pause as Diana tried to figure out how to respond; finally she just raised her eyebrows, still a little peeved. "Really." She picked up the magazine, examining the cover a little more closely. Even with the graininess of the photo, Bruce's perfectly cut cheekbones were highly visible. His mouth curved upwards as his face was leaned into her cheek; something she hadn't noticed while it was happening. That sexy smirk was likely more for the cameras than anything else.

"You... you're really sure about this?" Superman's voice cut over her thoughts. She looked up to see not the smug and condescending demeanor that had questioned her a second earlier, but a genuine and concerned expression on the Man of Steel's face. Her residual anger softened. He continued: "He's not usually one for..." He struggled for the word, "_closeness_. It just seems strange that he would finally give in to his feelings for you."

Diana remembered Bruce's sudden one-eighty yesterday and nodded. "It _is_ strange."

Superman continued. "But if there's anyone who can handle Bruce and his mood swings, it's definitely you, Diana." He looked at her and swallowed. "Sorry for earlier. I just had to be sure."

She smiled at her friend. He was, after all, just trying to look out for her. And looking at Bruce's track record- in and out of costume- she didn't really blame him. "No hard feelings." She cleared her throat. "What's on the agenda today?"

Superman picked up some papers from the desk. "The monthly General Meeting, then the Founders Meeting. We really have to tackle this slacking off that's been happening in Batman's absence."

"You mean, _you_ have to tackle this, seeing as you're the presenter," Diana corrected, amused.

Superman sighed and raked a hand through his black hair. "Do you really have to remind me, Diana? I had no idea how much things depended on him around here. I feel like everything's going to shambles. I'm trying my best but it's just not good enough. _I'm_ not good enough." And with that, the strongest man on earth looked dejectedly at the ground like a lost puppy.

Diana stepped forward and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't say that, Kal. You and he have different leadership styles, that's all. You're doing a wonderful job," she said firmly.

He nodded slowly. Then, he blurted, "I miss him." At Diana's surprised face, he quickly added, "I know it's strange, I mean he's a complete- a complete-"

"No, that's not it," Diana cut in gently. "It's just surprising that you would admit that. Seeing you're nearly as stubborn and bigheaded as him sometimes... But I know you do; you're not the only one."

Superman looked sheepish. He pressed the button on the wall to open the doors again and they walked out together to the general meeting area, where all of the available expanded League was waiting, chatting amongst themselves. "I'm _not_ as bigheaded as him," he said suddenly with some indignation.

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

Diana patted him on the back condescendingly and made her way to her seat near the stage. Meanwhile, Superman walked to the front of the platform and made a little coughing sound. The hubbub did not die down. He coughed a little louder; no difference. "Everyone, let's just settle down." The noise level almost seemed to go up.

Diana was on the verge of leaving her seat to make the command he wouldn't, when Superman seemed to get fed up and shouted, loudly, "Shut up!"

The room instantly went quiet. Diana knew they had been shocked into silence. Superman was normally so mild-mannered in public that he made it difficult to really be intimidated by him.

Superman jabbed a finger at his audience. "I am so tired of this!" he said angrily. "The sheer amount of slacking off has gotten to be so much I'm surprised this organization is still functioning properly!" At the utter silence, Superman hesitated and coughed. "Everyone. Everyone. I'm sorry if I sound a little bit harsh. Things have been a little more stressful lately but we're going to work through it. Could I please just get your attention, please, for a few minutes while I go over the agenda today..." Gradually, the tension in the room lessened and the meeting went on. The general tone was still uneasy.

Diana listened with interest while her friend dictated jobs and informed the group on new protocols, technologies, staffing and scheduling changes, the previous month's highlights, and finally, got volunteers for a special mission in Metropolis to investigate the toxin that Question had unearthed.

"And that concludes our meeting for today," finished Superman, looking significantly less stressed out than when he had started. "Are there any questions?"

Diana didn't even realize she had risen out of her seat, almost like she had subconsciously predicted the question that was called out from Green Arrow in the crowd:

"Where's Batman?"

Superman's mouth opened and closed. The crowd was silent, expectant; but her friend seemed frozen. Diana, wasting no time, crossed to the stage and spoke with as much authority as she could muster. "Batman has taken an indefinite leave of absence from the Justice League, to focus on his own projects," she said clearly. It wasn't exactly a lie. Gasps arose in the crowd but she ignored them. "Are there any other questions?"

She didn't expect the many shouts that arose.

"Why didn't you tell us before?"

"What are we going to do now?"

"_Now_ I see why everything's gone to sh-"

"Enough!" boomed Superman. The sound level in the room lowered a few decibels. The Man of Steel continued to speak over the hubbub.

"We selected all of you because you proved that you could be responsible crimefighters. That's not what I'm seeing anymore around here. So Batman hasn't been around lately, so what? Having the pants scared off of you should not be the main motivator to care about your work! And if it is, you can hand in your resignation to _me_!" He finally took a breath of air. Not a single whisper was heard. "At some point our biggest villains are going to come back. And we're going to have to fight them. We can't afford to fight amongst _ourselves_; we have to cooperate with each other and pick up each others' slack. Am I understood?"

The chill in the room gave way to hesitant murmurs of assent and small nods. Superman smiled apologetically at the group, and now his tone was decidedly more gentle and friendly, just like the Boy Scout everyone knew and loved. "I'm sorry you weren't told about Batman's absence before. We were all sort of hoping he would change his mind and come back, but that doesn't seem to be likely." Diana was impressed by the smooth lie.

But then again, she realized, it wasn't really a lie. A part of her had been hoping he would return, as well.

With that, the meeting truly concluded, and five minutes later, the next one began.

Shayera took a seat next to Diana and whispered, "Whoa. Didn't know he had it in him." She jabbed her thumb at the door, which Superman had yet to arrive through.

Diana grinned in response. Shayera then slyly added, "Didn't know _you_ had it in you, either."

"I wasn't lying," Diana said automatically. "It was the truth... I just cut it down to the essentials."

"A lie of omission is still a lie," Shayera sing-songed in a regal, elevated tone that Diana supposed was meant to be a mockery of her own. "And besides, that's not what I was talking about. You and Batman?"

Ah. That was what this was about. Diana straightened her posture and attempted to put on a poker face. "Yes."

Shayera nodded sagely, then quietly but bluntly asked, "Did you have sex?"

"No," Diana replied equally bluntly. The Flash, who had apparently been listening in, gave a little start. Diana gave the sheepish speedster a 'grow up' look. Having been raised on the island, she didn't bother to try to understand Man's World's stigma of being simultaneously curious yet also embarrassed about sex. She tuned back into Shayera.

"...I'm glad, but he's such an asshole. What do you see in that man?" Shayera asked. "I mean, besides the fact that everyone attracted to the male gender aboard this Tower has wanted to bed him at some point, what do _you_ like about him?"

Diana decided to ignore what she fervently hoped was a joke. "He's a good man, and I can see that, no matter how much he tries to hide it."

Shayera snorted. "Don't make me laugh. You expect me to believe he's a soft little puppy underneath that cowl?"

"That's not it; he's not like Kal," Diana replied slowly, wondering at how to explain this. "He's a little rough around the edges, yes, but... I like that about him."

Shayera leaned back in her seat. "What you mean is, you're into bad boys."

Diana frowned at the generalization. "I don't think-"

Their conversation was cut off when Superman finally swept into the room, his body radiating tension. He took his seat, only pausing a millisecond at the empty one beside his, before leaning forward and putting his large hands decisively down on the table. "I can't take this tension anymore. We have to decide, and now."

The five others around the table looked at him expectantly. They all knew what he was talking about.

Superman took a deep breath and said, "We have to do the vote that we never got to conduct. Knowing what we do now, _do_ we want Batman back in the Justice League?"

**A/N: Young Justice fans will notice I did a little nod to that great series in this chapter. R &amp; R!**


	26. Chapter 26

The silence in the room was incredibly tense, at least until Flash started nervously tapping a pen against the tabletop at superspeed. "Batman? Back? At the League?"

Superman exhaled. "Yes, Flash."

After a momentary pause, John said, "Maybe we should talk about this first... Things are a little too disorganized. On my way here, I already heard Question sharing his thoughts on the excuse Diana gave, to anyone who would listen."

"What'd he say?" asked Flash, looking anxious.

"Basically, that he doesn't believe us. Knowing him, he's already figured out exactly what happened," John replied.

Diana crossed her arms. "Why the big decision now, Superman? Do you only want Batman back so he can organize all the files and investigate all the cases that _you've_ had to do since he left?" While she would not mind seeing him more often, she was feeling a bit protective of the man. She didn't want him to only be invited back just because other members were tired of doing all the dirty work. And she was sure he wouldn't buy it, either.

Superman shot her a half irritated, half understanding glance. "No, Diana. The fact is, our organization needs him. _We_ need him. Before... this, he's never given us a reason to doubt him. He put everything he has into making this organization a reality. And he's been prepared to sacrifice everything for it." There was a moment where they all remembered the chilling moment when Batman had crashed the Watchtower into the Thanagarian base.

"He's a huge asset and a... a good friend," Superman added quietly. "He never had ill intentions and I forgive him. And that's why I think he should take this seat again." He nodded to the empty chair beside him.

Seeing that Superman was finished, Diana felt the need to put in her own two cents. "I agree," she said simply. The others looked curiously at her. The founders all knew how she felt about Batman; in the years that the seven of them had been the only members of the League, they had grown to know each other quite well. Added to that, the recent uproar over the paparazzi picture, and she was sure she would be answering more than a few questions later from her closest friends.

"Me, too," Shayera piped up. Diana shot her a quick grateful smile and turned her hopeful gaze on Flash, J'onn and John. Three already voted for; only one more vote was necessary.

"Hold up," said John authoritatively, crossing his arms. "If this is going to happen, it has to be a unanimous decision. Such a huge breach of trust can't be voted in with a simple majority."

Shayera glared at him and replied with cutting sarcasm. "Go on, John, don't let your massive ego be shy about your feelings about this."

"Well, _I'm_ not shy about it," said Flash, leaning forward with an earnest look on his face. "He scares the crap outta me but you gotta love 'im. To be honest, I didn't want him out in the first place. Unlike you guys, apparently, I knew that without him we'd be totally fu-"

"Thank you, Wally," Superman interrupted. "J'onn, you haven't said anything as of yet. What are your thoughts?"

J'onn remained silent for a moment. Everyone looked on expectantly until finally the Martian stated slowly, "I read his mind after it happened."

Diana gave a start. "At the meeting afterwards? You didn't say anything!"

"Not then. He was prepared in every way for our meeting that day. " J'onn corrected. He paused. "You must understand that feeling others' _emotions_ is a very private thing. In fact, this information is not something I would normally share, but it is necessary in order for you to understand. For the most part, at that meeting, his mental state gave off a certain air of... emotionlessness, coldness; even after hearing what happened to us. It worried me that perhaps he did not care at all, and that unfortunately clouded my judgment of him. But my worries turned out to be nothing."

Everyone was leaning subconsciously across the table now. "What? Why?" Shayera fairly shouted.

J'onn winced at some memory. "It was after the mountainside of Al Ghul's stronghold collapsed, and I found him nearby, shaking with exhaustion. His mental barriers were therefore weaker than usual... I didn't mean to read his mind..." He faltered again, then continued on. "But for a moment, I was overwhelmed with _his_ guilt, all for what he had indirectly nearly done to us. It was a very strong emotion, at least until he put his barriers back up. At the meeting, he tried to make it seem like it didn't matter to him. But it was all a very clever mental ruse." He looked over the shocked group. "I trust this information will never leave this table."

"What?" said the Flash, confused, at all the meaningful glances his way.

"I don't know how to put this delicately, but you're a _huge motormouth_," replied Shayera bluntly.

"Hey," Flash complained. "I can keep a secret!"

"Oh yeah?" snorted John. "Name one."

Flash seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, and then a grin crossed his face. "Batman's secret identity," he said triumphantly.

"I think that probably had more to do with your fear of getting beaten up than your sensitivity and discretion," Shayera said with a little laugh.

Meanwhile, Superman still seemed to be processing the information J'onn had given. "He's good at the mental control aspect, I don't doubt it," he said. "Remember how he took down Doctor Destiny?"

Flash shuddered. "_Don't_ remind me."

Diana, who hadn't been involved with that mission, had other concerns. "Does that mean you vote _for_, J'onn?" she asked, wanting to be sure.

The Martian's eyes glowed red. _Yes_.

There was another silence. All eyes seemed to turn to John, who sat arms folded, unperturbed by the attention.

"Well? John? Are you going to prolong this topic or are you going to be a man, let go of your massive ego, and join the rest of us?" Shayera barked.

He gave her an annoyed glance. "Look," he said, holding his hands up, "I have always had respect for the man. I just think the decision has to be unanimous to show our solidarity. That doesn't mean I'm _not_ voting for it," he said quickly when Shayera opened her mouth, "Especially when we hear from John that he was sorry. Just not _man_ enough to say it."

"Oh, I see," snapped Shayera. "You just wanted Batman to blink first, so that you could forgive him without losing your _massive ego_."

"Why do you keep saying 'massive ego'?" he said, glaring.

"Uh, maybe because, you have a _massive ego_."

"I _do not_-"

"Enough," boomed Superman. The two quieted.

Diana smirked at Shayera. "Are you all done with your lovers' spat?"

In perfect unison, they hissed, "_We are not-_"

"We get it," Superman cut off, looking exasperated. "Finish your argument elsewhere. John, are you for or against?"

He sat silently stewing for a moment, then said, "For."

A tension that Diana hadn't even realized had been sitting in her gut suddenly became alleviated. Really, had there ever been any doubt? She didn't have any hard feelings for John, though; she understood. It was in his nature; he was a very clear cut man and she admired that. When there was trust, he was loyal to the last breath; but at the breach of that trust, it would never be easy to gain his friendship again. She'd seen it with Shayera- hadn't it taken him far longer than this to even say a civil word to her face?

Superman's relief was clear on his face. "Good," he said gruffly, shuffling some papers in his hands. "Now that we've got that settled... time to move on to the next item..."

Superman tried to make it just another item on the agenda, but the six members knew, no matter how offhand he tried to make it seem, that this was a huge deal. Diana was certain she was not the only one finding herself tuning out of Superman's words and reflecting on the decision they had collectively made.

_Batman was coming back_. The thought made her giddy.

But just as she was overflowing with happiness at that thought, another made her hesitate.

Would he even _want_ to?

* * *

After the meeting, Diana checked her mailbox, expecting nothing out of the ordinary. A few unpersonal, widely distributed ads, notes, a bit of fanmail, the usual. Everything coming in from earth was of course extensively screened so she wasn't worried.

A small black envelope caught her eye, shoved in the back corner of the slot. Her breath caught for a moment and she reached for it. It couldn't be...

It was. Inside, a crisp, cleanly folded note written in Batman's handwriting; a style which, she had noticed earlier when he had signed the cheque, was significantly different than Bruce Wayne's. She wondered if he forced it on purpose or if it came subconsciously from fully immersing himself in two different roles.

The note was short and impersonal._ Meet at the back of the largest blue tent. Wear civilian guise. Quarter to six._ There was no signature at the bottom.

She knew what he was talking about. The Wayne Foundation Fair. But how on earth had this managed to get here? It didn't seem his style to send it by courier like all the fan mail.

Which really, left only one option. He had come up here- he had been_ here_, in this very spot- to specially deliver a note to her.

She felt a stupid grin cross her face. How sweet, yet infuriating of him, to come here unseen for this purpose. There he went again, sending mixed signals. A short note, yet a heartfelt gesture. A cold shoulder, a lot of flirting. A slew of reasons why not, but an offer for a date. She knew why now, of course. He was confused. By himself.

Diana supposed that perhaps her mother had been right about at least one thing: Men were fools.

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Diana and Bruce at the Fair is coming up, so stay tuned and leave a review! :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**BRUCE POV- ONE WEEK LATER**

The only sounds at the long dinner table were the scraping of cutlery against glass plates, and the occasional pouring of drink.

Bruce sat on one end, Tim on the other. It was his ward's first night back at the manor, and Alfred had prepared his favourite, roast beef, to welcome him back.

Bruce was still having trouble doing the same. When Tim had walked through the front door, accompanied by Leslie and a lone duffle bag, Bruce had just stood there, hands stuffed in pockets. Muttered an awkward sounding hello. That was pretty much all he had said, and Tim had said nothing.

Now, across the table, Bruce studied him intently over his food. The overdoses of Joker toxin had really done a number on his system; tonight he seemed especially pale. Bruce had been to see him a few times before this, and Tim truly seemed to be doing better; but for reasons he couldn't fathom, the visits had just gotten increasingly awkward.

Alfred came into the dining room again to pour Bruce a glass of sparking juice. Out of nowhere, the old butler stamped on his foot, hard. Without making a sound, Bruce looked up with annoyance. Alfred's expression was of mild irritation. He subtly nodded at the young boy stirring food around his plate and then assumed his usual professional mask.

Bruce knew Alfred just wanted him to talk. _Say something, you idiot_, he chastised himself. He cleared his throat.

"Tim... How have you been?"

The boy looked up at him for a moment before returning his detached stare to his plate. "Fine, I guess."

"I know this is a big step for you," he proceeded cautiously, gently. He heard Alfred sighing audibly as he left the room. "I'm sure things have been hard but-"

"Can you stop acting like I'm going to break?" Tim snapped, suddenly coming to life as he threw down his fork with a clang. "Everyone has been treating me that way and it got old real fast. I wouldn't have expected it from you, Mr. _Tough Love_."

Bruce was taken aback yet simultaneously encouraged by Tim's sudden fire. He leaned forward, poker face back up and voice a shade deeper than normal. "I'm sorry, should I have punched you in the face to test your reflexes instead of saying hello?"

"_That_ would have been a relief," his charge sneered, and stood up with his hands clenched into fists. "I'm so tired of being treated like a piece of china." His voice was rising in volume. "Instead, you're talking about _feelings_, like Scarecrow accidentally gassed you with weed fumes instead of fear toxin. I want to be treated normally, not like some freak on display that everyone feels sorry for!"

Bruce clenched his fork very tightly. "No one thinks you're a freak, Tim."

"Yeah?" shouted Tim. "That's funny, because I _was_ a freak. I was turned _into_ a freak. Maybe I still am a freak!" In a rush of anger, his youngest charge threw his plate at him. Bruce ducked and the plate hit the wall behind him, shattering.

Bruce got up from his seat but didn't approach him just yet. "Tim-"

But he kept going. "I don't care that it's not possible, but I want to be _me_ again. I just- I just want to forget. I just want things to go back to normal." His voice broke slightly, and Bruce's eyes softened as he understood.

"Tim..." he said gently, again, and now he walked over to where his surrogate son stood trembling, looking down at the ground with an expression of self-hatred, frustration, and misery on his face that Bruce knew only too well, because he had seen it in the mirror for so many years. It shook him to see it on the generally happy-go-lucky Tim.

He put a hand on his shoulder, opened his mouth and consciously held back all the things he wanted to say reassuring and comforting, because he knew that would only confirm Tim's suspicions of condescension. Instead, he simply said in his usual gruff tones, "I'm glad you're back."

He knew right away that he had made the right choice. Tim's creased forehead smoothed out and his expression became less agitated. Bruce stood there for a moment, until he was sure that Tim was calm enough, and then returned to his seat.

Tim sat back in his own and finally looked up. "I'm sorry I broke the plate," he muttered. Bruce didn't need to get a thanks from him; he heard it in his voice.

Bruce smiled slightly. "_I'm_ not the one you should be worried about."

Before Tim could respond, the doorbell rang. Tim looked at Bruce. "Shouldn't you get that?"

Bruce waved his hand in a dismissing gesture. "Let Alfred. An old man like him needs to get in some regular exercise." He saw the glimmer of a grin flit over the boy's face.

His own (relatively) good mood evaporated when Alfred escorted Dick and a grumpy-looking Barbara into the dining room. He had forgotten that Barbara was coming today.

"Master Dick and Miss Gordon here to see you," Alfred announced unneccessarily. "And by the way Master Tim, I'll have you know that plate was positively a Chinese artifact and cannot be replaced." There was a twinkle in his eye that betrayed his stern tone.

"Oh, shut your sassy English trap, Alfred," said Dick good-naturedly. "Tim, good to see you. How you doing?"

Tim sighed and delivered the same answer he'd given Bruce. "Fine."

"Really?" said Barbara anxiously, taking a few steps closer. "No one's giving you... a hard time?" She shot Bruce a glare, who stared back unimpressed, arms folded.

There was a slight pause. "No," said Tim, and smiled slightly at his surrogate father. "Everything's fine." Unlike before, this 'fine' rang of truth. Bruce felt the tension leave him, and he found his appetite again. He looked back at his food, even though he could feel the stares of both Dick and Barbara searing through his head.

"Can I have some more food?" he heard Tim ask hesitantly, "I'm sorry about the plate."

The butler sniffed regally. "Well, now that you've apologized..." Bruce heard him leave the room and smiled a little to himself, head still ducked so no one could see.

He had another peaceful minute of eating while Barbara and Dick were enthusiastically greeting Tim. Then there was another pregnant pause, and he heard Barbara snap, "Well, Dick got me to come over here. But it doesn't look like you have anything to say."

"I don't," he replied, casually taking a sip from his glass. "Dick, I thought you were heading back to Bludhaven today."

"I am, after this," Dick responded, sounding anxious to avoid a heated argument that seemed inevitable. "And come on, Bruce, you don't mean that."

Bruce met his eldest ward's eyes with a steely gaze. "Actually, I do." He glanced at Barbara, his eyes dismissing. "I gave you my final answer."

"Bruce-" Barbara started angrily, but Bruce cut her off.

"Not here."

"Why? What's going on?" Tim asked suspiciously from where he was sitting. Bruce sighed inwardly, knowing from the moment Barbara opened her mouth what would transpire next. He had been hoping to avoid this as long as possible, allow Tim some time to heal in peace rather than stressing over something pointless.

"_Bruce_ here doesn't think you and I have the guts to work with Batman anymore," Barbara sneered. "He's going solo from now on."

"That's not why and you know it," Bruce snapped, while Tim's eyes widened with shock and hurt.

"What? Are you serious, Bruce? Or am I too _damaged_ for the job?"

The agony in Tim's voice sort of made Bruce want to rip his heart out. He maintained his resolve nonetheless. No one else was getting hurt because of his crusade. "Don't be stupid," he replied roughly. "I'm not risking your lives anymore. Either of you."

Tim threw his hands up. "Oh, but it's fine for Dick?"

"Don't bring me into this," groaned Dick.

"You idiot, _you're_ the one that brought _me_ here," Barbara grumbled.

Bruce steepled his fingers and looked over the group. "He's independent now. I can't stop him from wasting his life on this but I _can_ stop you."

"If it's such a waste of time why do _you_ bother with it, Bruce?" demanded Tim.

Sometimes Bruce wondered that himself. Before he could answer, though, his phone rang. Everyone in the room seemed to sigh with exasperation. Bruce ignored them. "Hello?"

"Bruce, it's Wendy," his irritated secretary responded. "Where are you? You're speaking in ten minutes at the Fair, don't you remember?"

Bruce pretended to sound surprised. As if he hadn't been thinking nonstop about this event for the past week, ever since idiotically setting up a date with Diana at the same venue. "Oh, that's right!" he exclaimed in his usual ditzy voice. From his peripheral vision he saw Dick roll his eyes with great exaggeration. "I'm so sorry, Wendy, it slipped my mind. I'll be right there. In fact I'm leaving the house right now."

"That's what you said last time and you never even showed up-"

Bruce hung up and looked back at his proteges with a grave look on his face. "I have to go," he said, tucking his phone back in his pocket.

Barbara folded her arms. "I think whatever high society dinner you're going to now can wait a few minutes."

Alfred spoke up, making them all jump. None of them had even noticed him entering the room with Tim's food due to the tension. "Two things, Miss Gordon. It's the Wayne Foundation Fair. And, I believe Master Bruce is far more anxious for his date than the speech he'll be giving. I'll go start the car, sir." And he left.

Bruce shot his most fierce Batglare in the direction the butler had gone, which of course never worked. A silence filled the room.

Barbara looked like she didn't think she'd heard right. "What?"

Bruce felt the urge to massage his temples. Alfred's ploy to both annoy Bruce and make the group forget about their previous argument had apparently worked.

"Bruce here is dating Wonder Woman," Dick explained to Barbara while still glaring at Bruce. "And he's totally into her."

"We're not _dating_," Bruce ground out. No one seemed to hear him.

Barbara's eyebrows looked about ready to lift off into outer space. "Wow."

"He's had a crush on her for years," Tim said mock-conversationally. From the tell-tale smirks on their faces, Bruce knew his irritated family was just trying to rile him up. "You must have noticed, Babs, when he comes back from League missions all he complains about is _her_." Dick made a noise of agreement.

Bruce stood up; he'd had about enough of this. "I'm leaving." WIthout looking at them, he strode for the door.

"Hey! This conversation isn't over, you can't leave!" Dick shouted in a last-ditch attempt.

Bruce casually adjusted his cufflinks and ignored him.

* * *

Bruce had Alfred drop him off in a secluded spot rather than in the front of the Fair's gates. He wanted to see that Diana had made it safely to the spot he had told her.

He spotted her exactly where he had expected, behind the blue tent he was speaking in, looking around at the few people milling about backstage. He couldn't help a small smile cross his face when he saw her, and then a small frown when he fully registered what she was wearing.

It wasn't that she looked _bad_\- quite the opposite, actually. She wore a casual white sundress that flowed down to her feet and accentuated every curve, with thin straps that showed off her slender shoulders and toned arms. Her hair was where it always was, tumbling down her back messily.

She just couldn't help but be sexy.

"Hey," he said quietly when he had approached. Sometimes it seemed that the nearer he got to her, the less he could think straight. Today was one of those times.

She turned around and smiled brilliantly, in that way of hers that made him forget all his pain for just a moment. "Bruce." She sounded a little anxious. "I don't think my disguise is working very well."

Bruce noticed his staffers whispering amongst themselves as they stared at her. "You're right. You're too..." he struggled for a word- _Divine. Gorgeous. Beautiful. Goddess-like_. "noticeable. Luckily, I prepared for that to happen; I had Alfred pack some clothes for you to wear, just in case."

She grinned again, looking much more at ease. Her smile was radiant- her white dress contrasted brilliantly with her tanned skin and Bruce, admiring her perfection, felt the almost uncontrollable urge to run his hand down her arm to feel that smooth skin. "Always prepared, aren't you?" she said teasingly. "And you call _Superman_ the Boy Scout."

Bruce smirked. Her playful nature was just one of the many things he loved about her. "Look, I have to say a few words to the crowd tonight, but then I'll be all yours." He didn't realize how that sounded until it left his mouth. Her raised eyebrows made him backtrack. "I mean-"

She put a hand on his forearm and pressed closer. "I know _exactly_ what you mean, Mr. Wayne," she purred. "And I like it." Naturally, Bruce found himself unable to speak when her breasts were pressed against him. Where the hell was she learning these seduction skills?

She continued as if he wasn't staring at her like an idiot. "Well, the papers already think we're together, so I'll come with you."

A few synapses in Bruce's brain managed to fire, and he was able to disentangle himself from her arms. "No," he said firmly.

She let go of him- the tension in him eased slightly- and put her hands on her hips. "Why not?"

He glared at her. "I think you know why."

"If you think I know why, then you also know that if I want to come anyway, it's because I don't care," she shot back. "Why is it so hard to let someone support you?"

Bruce was about to retort, but he noticed some of his nosier staffers drawing closer, curious to witness what appeared from far away to be a lovers' spat. He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. He might as well let her come along; it wasn't like her identity was hidden. His staffers would have the news of them together spread like wildfire within hours, and probably a more sordid version. He might as well get a clear message across now. "Alright. Do whatever you want."

She smiled, sweetly, angelically. "I'm glad you've realized, Bruce."

In response, he turned away and headed for the entrance to the tent; he heard her follow. She kept trying to establish a relationship with him, but she didn't know what she was getting into.

On second thought, _he_ didn't know, either.

**Wow, this took me a long time to write. I've been spending all my time reading the Injustice Comic. And let me tell you, it's freaking breaking my heart. *gross sobbing***

**Anyway, I wanted to write the date at the Fair as one chapter, to avoid frequent disruption in one scene, but I realized that would be super long and probably would be a lot longer to update... and so... it will be broken up along a few chapters, unfortunately. Meh. Love to hear your thoughts, as always!**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: This was a little later to update than usual, (things have been busy) so it's also a little longer. Enjoy :)**

**DIANA POV**

As she followed Bruce into the blue tent, she was mildly surprised to see the large crowd gathered to see the presentation below the stage. The noise level increased dramatically when she stepped out behind him. She thought she saw his large shoulders tense at it for a moment.

But she didn't worry about that too much. She smiled and waved for the cameras and at some of the more rambunctious fans; it was all something she was used to, as an international celebrity herself.

She found herself standing next to a few of Bruce's staffers on the side of the stage, while Bruce took the podium.

Lazily, he leaned over the podium and flashed a gorgeous grin at the audience. Diana heard more than a few sighs from the audience and, disturbingly, from some of his staff near her.

"Hello, everyone," he said in his typically light voice. Diana was intrigued by how charismatic he could be as Bruce Wayne, and yet chose to remain rough, rude and generally socially inept as the Batman. "I'd just like to say a few words tonight to kick off the Wayne Foundation Fair. But first, I'm sure you're curious about my _friend_" he subtly accented on the word, and the crowd laughed- "who seems to have stolen the show from me tonight, the lovely Wonder Woman! Diana, give us a wave!" The crowd cheered and Diana, surprised at the acknowledgment, gave another wave at everyone, blinking rapidly at the flashing bulbs of cameras.

Meanwhile, Bruce was playfully leaning across the podium on one elbow, looking at her dreamily in a theatrical way. "I was giving the Justice League a donation the other day, she was accepting the cheque and I somehow got her to agree to come with me to the Fair," he told the crowd. "She's _gorgeous_, isn't she?" The crowd roared in agreement. Diana didn't have to fake the eye-rolling she did there.

Finally, Bruce launched into his speech. "I'm proud to say the Wayne Foundation has put millions of dollars towards the betterment of Gotham, and the lives of all its residents. This annual fair is one of our biggest events, and one hundred percent of the profits go to..."

Watching him, Diana saw gradually, little by little, his vapid demeanor faded away, to be replaced with an genuine and earnest man who was easily able to ensnare the crowd to hang on to his every word. Diana herself found herself mesmerized by his passion, the honesty that, for once, easily was conveyed through his Bruce Wayne personality as he spoke about the charities and development projects the money was going to, and urged the people to start taking a stand for their city.

She was starting to realize that Bruce Wayne was not just a cover for Batman. He was also a tool. To make Batman's city a better place; but working from the opposite angle. Batman saved people, but Bruce Wayne helped people save themselves.

His complete devotion showed; he truly _loved_ these people, this city.

She didn't even realize she was grinning so big, so utterly proud of him, until he was standing in front of her with an eyebrow raised. She blinked, and saw that the presentation was over; people were quickly leaving the stage area and were drifting over to the rides that had just opened. His staff were efficiently taking down the tent.

They had a moment to themselves. "What are you smiling about?" he asked as they, as one, stepped off stage.

"You," she said happily.

He glanced at her, and, seeing her smile, his eyes softened. He opened his mouth to say something, but someone got his attention.

"Bruce! Bruce Wayne! Wonder Woman!" shouted a pretty red-headed reporter from nearby. "Vicki Vale for the Gotham Gazette. Can I get-"

"You can get an interview from _me_, Vicki, about the Wayne Foundation and about nothing else," Bruce said smoothly, very subtly stepping in front of Diana.

As if the woman in front of them was a threat. Diana raised her eyebrows at the gesture but did nothing.

"Stay here," he breathed, before heading a little ways away with the reporter, pulling at his tuxedo jacket.

Diana watched him go, debating with herself as to whether she should bring up the League decision today. She wasn't sure she wanted to bring up sour memories right now.

She didn't have too long to ponder it when someone else who had managed to get through security came up to talk to Wonder Woman.

Diana turned her gracious smile on the shorter woman, but to her surprise, this wasn't a fan.

The woman wore a 'Girl Power' shirt and a frown. Searching for something to say, Diana finally spoke warmly. "I like your shirt."

"_Do_ you?" asked the woman in challenging tones. Diana's confusion must have shown on her face, because she elaborated. "I'm Gina Opal and a member of the Gotham Status of Women Society," she said.

"Oh!" Diana said with enthusiasm. "That's wonderful-"

Gina wasn't done yet; she jabbed an accusing finger at Diana. "You have been an icon for the feminist movement for years," she said. "Do you know how much I looked up to you? And then you go and become the arm candy to _Bruce Wayne_?" Her disgust for him was evident in her tone. "You've set the movement back so much with this. God, I thought you were a feminist."

Diana was affronted now, understanding what this was about. "I _do _believe in female empowerment. But not misandry," she said firmly, putting her hands on her hips.

Gina, impressively, didn't back down even when Wonder Woman drew herself to her full height. "Okay, fine," Gina snapped. "But _Bruce_ _Wayne_? Do you even know how many women he's bedded and left hang to dry in this city alone? They say _hundreds_!"

Diana, while taken back at the estimated number, was quickly getting tired of everyone warning her off Bruce. "So? I like him. He's a good man! Look how much he does for this city!"

Gina scoffed. "Don't make me laugh. That's all his publicity team, he's just the figurehead. He doesn't care about anyone but himself. He's an idiot and a womanizer."

Diana had the urge to hit her, but kept restraint by reminding herself that this woman didn't know him like she did. Her conviction that Bruce was an awful person was just testament to his superb acting skills. "You don't understand. That's not true."

Gina eyed her suspiciously. "How would you know? You've only met him a handful of times."

Diana realized that she had let slip a little too much in her anger. "Oh..." she trailed off. "Well... I..." Her argument was losing steam with Gina, she could tell.

The woman in front of her huffed. "You're really not all that great, you know that, Wonder Woman?" And she turned on her heel and left, leaving Diana unmistakably shaken.

Before Diana could fully recover from the onslaught, another voice purred nearby. "Wonder Woman."

Diana turned again, putting her smile back on. "Hello..." her voice died away as she recognized the woman that had been flirting with Bruce the night the relic had been stolen, so long ago. With her were two other woman, wearing beautiful dresses- Diana had to assume they were part of Gotham high society as well.

The woman smiled sweetly- it didn't reach her eyes as her face was awfully stiff, perhaps due to plastic surgery- and extended one manicured hand. "Vivian Faxfair," she introduced herself. "I believe we've met. At that charity gala in Metropolis. You danced with our Bruce." She gave a little fluttery laugh.

"Yes, I remember," Diana said, trying to keep her voice light. "How are you?"

Vivian pouted. "I think the real question here is, how are _you_?" she asked in a pseudo-concerned voice. "It must be so difficult to meet his expectations."

Diana was confused. "Who's?"

"Well, Brucie's, of course," Vivian answered in a sugary, condescending voice. "In bed." The women with her tittered.

Diana's eyebrows shot way up. Mostly at the woman's boldness to pry into her private life. "Why are you so concerned?" she asked, a little colder now; she couldn't help it. "I thought you were married yourself."

"Oh, I was," she replied, dismissively. "I got divorced. I didn't like his parents." She giggled airily. "Now if I was with Bruce, I wouldn't have that problem."

Diana was shocked by the callousness of her statement, rooted to the spot and completely speechless. Vivian's companions didn't seem to share her disgust, but continued smirking at Diana as if they knew some great secret. Her fury mounted- didn't this hapless woman understand what a horrible life he had had to endure following the traumatic deaths of his parents?

Said hapless woman continued on, perhaps not noticing the look of bloody murder surely etched in Diana's features at the moment. "Now you my dear, I'm worried for _you_. Aren't you from a society of all women? That would mean you are a" she whispered, as if it was a dirty word- "_virgin_? Are you sure you can handle him? Honey, he's a big boy. Trust me, I know it." She let out another airy laugh.

Diana clenched her fists together; she found it difficult to believe that Bruce might have bedded this woman. "That's nice," she said, her words lined with thick sarcasm. "Thanks for your concern, but it's not like that with us-"

"Do you even know how to please a man?" Vivian interrupted; as she had spoken, her voice had lost all its sugar, and had revealed her true meaning: she was jealous.

Diana opened her mouth to retort but at that moment, Bruce swooped in out of nowhere, grabbed her around the waist and kissed her full on the mouth.

Diana was so shocked she couldn't even enjoy it for a moment. He was leaning in so much that he had bent her backwards with his mouth. He disengaged for just a moment to murmur in her ear, "I heard." And then he went back to kissing her.

After she got over the split second shock, she wrapped her arms around his neck- finally digging her hands into that thick, luscious hair of his, and lost herself in his lips. She knew this was just an act but she did not care at that moment- That familiar fire began to burn low in her stomach at his touch.

Unfortunately, as soon as she started to enjoy it, it ended. Bruce placed her delicately back on her feet, winked at her and then turned back to the shocked Vivian Faxfair and friends. "I'm so sorry for disrupting your conversation," he said apologetically. "But sometimes I just can't resist a beautiful woman." He turned his one hundred watt smile on Diana, who resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Not at all, Mr. Wayne," she played her part dryly, all the while trying to ignore the tension in her lower stomach that hadn't eased since he'd touched her. "Maybe next time, let me know before you do that, so I can punch you first."

"Sounds like a plan," Bruce smirked and said to Vivian, "Excuse us, ladies. Good night." And with that abrupt exit, he steered her away from them and back to the waiting town car she assumed he had arrived in.

When they were out of earshot, Diana sighed. "Why is it that you only ever kiss me when you're putting on a show for someone else?"

Bruce winked at her; his playboy personality hadn't quite faded yet. "I have a flair for the dramatic, remember?" His smile faded. "Are you all right? Faxfair isn't the nicest person."

Diana sighed. "I think it's sad that some women feel the need to fight over a man. It's so very belittling."

"I personally think it's more sad that Mr. and Mrs. Faxfair decided to have a child," Bruce said with a small smirk. Diana laughed.

As they neared, Alfred opened the door to the car. "Master Bruce, Miss Prince," he addressed them, as formally as usual. However, under that moustache Diana sensed a smile being harboured. "Would you like your changes of clothes now?"

* * *

Diana stepped out of the restroom and saw Bruce already leaning against the wall beside the door. He turned to look at her. "Hmm."

"Hmm," she parroted him, looking him up and down. Slowly. She'd never seen him wear anything like this before- it was either the Batsuit, a real suit, or- occasionally, in the gossip rags- a black sweater.

Tonight, he was wearing a blue flannel shirt that was rolled up his forearms and dark jeans. His black hair was shoved under a grey cap that bore the logo of the Gotham Knights.

In other words- he was looking particularly delicious tonight.

"Nice hat," she said, stepping forward and rapping it with her knuckles.

"It was my father's." His blue eyes were unreadable as he crossed his arms and appraised her. "Does everything fit you well?"

Diana looked down at herself- the baggy grey sweater, black leggings, and flip-flops. "Well, yes, but I can't help but feel like you tried to dress me to look ugly," she laughed.

"That was the idea," he agreed. Anybody else, she might have been annoyed; but him, she knew what he meant, however callous he sounded. "Not that it worked. You're still so..." He trailed off.

Diana smiled brightly. "Good."

"Bad," he said with a frown. "You'll draw attention to us." He stared at her a moment longer, then reached for her. "Know what, I think it's your hair..."

Her heart fluttered when he gently took hold of her hair from the back and began to carefully braid it. Diana found herself strangely out of breath as she felt his fingers deftly and thoroughly weave her hair together, no strand left behind, into a perfect braid. Occasionally brushing against the back of her ears and sending a shock down her back. Inexplicably, his careful ministrations were turning her on. She found herself wondering if he was that _thorough_ in every aspect of his life...

She bet he was.

She was biting her lip excessively hard at the thought when he finished and tied it off with an elastic he seemed to have produced out of nowhere.

"Is that okay?" she heard his voice ask from what felt like five miles away. His piercing blue eyes stood out even more against his shirt.

"Sorry?" she said. Her body felt hot. "Sure. It doesn't matter. Do I look invisible to the general public now?"

"No." He walked back a foot or so and examined her. If he noticed a slight flush to her skin, he didn't say anything. "But it'll do- your hair looks less recognizable this way. Let's go." He took a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket and put them on. Diana shook her head at his paranoia, and they set off walking to the rides. Diana felt that heat fading away and being replaced with excitement for the evening ahead.

"But what about you?" she asked mischievously, bumping her shoulder into his.

He looked a little puzzled. "What _about_ me?"

"You stand out quite a bit yourself, Mr. Wayne," she teased, and put a hand on his bicep. "All these big, vengeance-filled muscles are hard to miss."

He actually cracked a smile at that. "My appearance doesn't pose a problem. Unlike you, I wasn't blessed by the _gods_."

Diana looked at him, all of him, his bright eyes (alas, masked by dark lenses), thick hair, chiseled cheekbones, a body that put most of the gods themselves to shame. "Are we sure about that?" Diana wondered aloud, smirking up at him and drawing a little closer.

They meandered around for a while, Diana drinking in the flashing lights and large crowds and loud music, until someone at one of the carnival games shouted, addressing Bruce. "Hello, sir! How would you like to win a prize for your girlfriend?"

She leaned in to whisper, "What's that?"

"That's the basketball shoot. Have you ever heard of basketball?"

"Yes," Diana said, although the name was pretty much all she had to go on. She stopped, and Bruce did too. Her eyes fell on the prizes next to the stall. Plush toys the size of human beings- teddy bears, all sorts of animals, and... superheroes?

She felt a delighted smile spreading over her face. In the corner, next to a large cartoony duck, was a very cute, huggable plushie of something that resembled Batman. "I want to play," she said.

He followed her gaze, and she expected him to annoyed about the legend he had created in himself reduced to a caricature, but surprisingly, he said, "Okay."

She frowned. "Okay?"

His smirk held a glimmer of mischievousness. "Go ahead."

They approached the carnival game. Bruce handed over the require dollar, and Diana picked up the basketball. Just get it in the hoop? That was it? Sounded silly to her. Stupidly easy.

She threw the ball with calculated human strength, fully expecting it to go through. To her utter surprise, it didn't, but bounced off the rim and away.

She turned around, and there was Bruce, smirk barely visible under his hat and with his hands stuffed in his jean pockets. "Want to try again?"

She gritted her teeth. He wanted her to ask for help. She wasn't planning to. "Yes."

So Bruce paid again. She missed.

And again.

And again.

"Okay, fine, you win," she hissed at Bruce, walking away from the gleeful game tender. "What's going on?"

"It's rigged," Bruce said without hesitation now. His face was in its usual poker face position, but she felt certain if she could see his eyes, they would be laughing at her. She felt her annoyance drain away- it was so refreshing to see something bright, instead of blankness or rage, in those icy eyes.

"How?" She asked. "How do I beat it?"

"Normally, people can't," he replied. "But you're not _normal_." There was something almost... reverential in his tone, but Diana didn't get the time to analyze it. He continued, his voice now taking on a detached, clinical feel. "The rim is smaller than usual and oval in shape. It's also higher than regulation. And... the ball is over-inflated to make it bounce more on the rim. There's very little chance to score. Unless you can achieve a very high-arcing, definitive swish." His eyebrow cocked. A challenge.

Accepted. "How much more change do you have in your pocket, Bruce?"

"A lot," he smirked.

It took her two tries to get it just right, but finally, the ball went cleanly through the hoop with a swish. She smiled triumphantly at the disgruntled carnival man. "I want that one." She pointed at the Batman one.

It was very soft to the touch. And, now that she looked closely, chubby looking. "You're losing your touch," she laughed under her breath.

Bruce merely eyed the toy with distaste.

Just then, they heard a young toddler's voice nearby cry, "Mommy, _I_ want to win a toy."

Diana turned around, still hugging the ridiculously huge and cute Batman stuffie to her chest. A little pigtailed girl was tugging at her haggard-looking mother's pant leg, with that look of extreme sadness that only small children can have.

The mother sighed. "No, honey. We don't have any money left and we're going home. You have lots of toys there."

Diana looked down at her hard-earned Batman plushie, which she had somehow grown attached to already, and decided to give it to the little girl. Just as she had made this decision, Bruce put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Then he turned around and handed another dollar to the carnival man. "I'd like to give it a try."

Diana watched as he weighed the ball in his hands, and looked at the hoop with a critical eye. Diana was sure his brain was doing all sorts of things to analyze every possible factor that would effect his shot. She wasn't at all shocked when he made it in, perfect swish, on the first try.

The carnival man's jaw couldn't have dropped any lower. Bruce's face didn't show any self-congratulatory emotion at all.

Diana stood there with a wide smile hurting her cheeks, watching as he jogged to where the girl and her mother had begun to walk away. He spoke to the mother for a few moments; she nodded, and Bruce crouched down to the little girl's eye level and spoke to her as well, with not a trace of condescension. The girl pointed to the one of the large teddy bears. Bruce came back, flashing the now sour-faced carnival man an arrogant grin and picked it up, trotted back to the little girl and deposited the bear at her feet.

Diana couldn't hear what the woman was saying, but she looked to be thanking him profusely. He waved it away, of course, and left her to take home her now beaming child.

And then he joined her and said, "Where do you want to go next?"

She knew he didn't want to talk about it. "You know, I could have just given her mine. I would have thought you'd be glad to be rid of it."

He didn't answer right away. Finally, he said, looking straight ahead, "But _you_ like it. Now where-"

She grabbed him by the collar and kissed him on the cheek. "You are a very kind man," she told him. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

He couldn't seem to meet her eyes. Diana smiled and leaned back. His underlying caring nature came out in the strangest ways. Even in battle. Being there when she came to to give her water. Giving her his hand to help her up. He was always ready to be there. And in turn, so was she. Almost from the very start of the League, they subconsciously fought together and watched over each other.

Hera, no matter all his faults, she loved him.

**A/N: Next, engaging conversations on a roller coaster. Yah, for real. I'm not making this stuff up. ...Well I am. But you know what I mean. R &amp; R!**


	29. Chapter 29

**BRUCE POV**

"I've heard great things about the roller coaster," Diana suggested, after they had deposited the ridiculous Batman toy with Alfred in the car. Bruce had then told him to go home and relax, that they would find their own way home. Alfred had smiled hugely at that, and Bruce supposed he might have misinterpreted what he meant. Alfred, always with his high hopes for him, no matter how many times Bruce let him down.

"What about it?" he asked, as they got in line.

She was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. Her excitement was adorable. "That it's exciting."

Bruce highly doubted that it would be exciting to a woman that could fly, but didn't say anything else on the subject. A silence stretched between them.

"How's Tim?" she asked finally.

"Fine," he said, a little more curtly than he had intended. In the past, he had tried his best not to expose his proteges to the presence of the heroes he partnered with. It was for their safety and his peace of mind that the less the other heroes knew of his 'family', the better. It wasn't that he hadn't trusted them... Okay, he hadn't. The less metas knew about his personal life, the better. This policy had always done him well.

But this was Diana he was talking to, and so he added, "He's moved back in."

He might have announced Christmas was coming early, Diana's smile was so big. It hurt his heart- in a good way- that she cared so much about his family. She was truly an extraordinary person.

"That's wonderful!" she exclaimed.

"Not so loud," he chastised. A few people were looking at them curiously.

Diana ignored him. "Maybe I can come and visit him sometime."

Bruce didn't answer; he saw the calculated glint in her lovely eyes. She was testing him to see what he would say to another invasion of his personal life. The frightening thing was that his instinct was to say yes; and _that_ certainly wasn't wise.

Luckily, he was spared having to reply because they were finally ushered into the last roller coaster car. They had the rear seats to themselves.

The conductor lowered the protective bar in front of them. Diana frowned at it. "What's this?"

"It's like a seat-belt," he explained. "So you don't fall out."

She huffed, tugging at her braid. "That's ridiculous."

He couldn't help a small grin. "Maybe for people who can fly it is," he said quietly.

The coaster lurched into motion, making a few screeching sounds. The people sitting in front of them let out a simultaneous cheer. Bruce settled in for what was sure to be an interesting ride.

A minute later, he was proven right. On the first loop-de-loop, while everyone else had their hands up and were screaming at the top of their lungs, Diana still had her arms folded and looked to be daydreaming. She turned to him, and Bruce quickly wiped his smile off his face.

"How's Gotham been?" she asked, tentatively. Bruce got the sense that she had been formulating this question for quite a while, but he wasn't sure where she was going with it.

"Quiet," he muttered as the roller coaster began lugging slowly up a steep incline.

"That's good. You have more time on your hands."

"No," he disagreed. "It means something big is going to happen. The calm before the storm."

He wasn't looking at her anymore, but he heard the amusement in her voice. "You're quite the pessimist, aren't you?"

"I've had experience," he corrected her. The coaster slowed to a stop at the top of the hill, and people once again put their hands in the air.

She paused. Bruce waited. As the coaster began speeding down vertically, she spoke. "I wasn't going to tell you this tonight, but I think you'll take it better from me than from Clark-"

Ah. A sour feeling began in his stomach as he realized what this was about. "No."

She sounded annoyed. "No? No? You haven't even heard what I had to say yet." She grabbed his chin and forcibly turned his face around to look at her pretty, flushed face. "Look at me when I'm speaking to you, will you?"

Bruce decided, right then, that having an angry Amazon order him around was pretty much the sexiest thing he had ever experienced. And that was saying something. "I know what this is about. The League wants Batman back."

Diana threw up her hands. "Of course you knew. Well, why not? We need your help, Bruce."

On another loop-de-loop, his cap almost flew off, and he barely managed to grab onto it before the momento from his father was gone. "No."

"Bruce! Be reasonable. What, do we need to grovel at your feet?"

He felt an arrogant smirk curve over his lips. "That won't be necessary. This time."

He was provoking her and she knew it. She took a deep breath, and when she spoke again, her voice was earnest, her eyes beseeching. Almost too quiet to hear over the screams of the other riders. "Bruce. The Justice League _needs_ you."

"No, they don't," he said strongly now, turning to look at her. No longer was he trying to goad her, but actually trying to explain what he felt. The rejection from the League had, he admitted only to himself, been devastating at first. Mostly because it was his own fault. But he had had time to think it over in the last few months. Weigh the pros and cons. And had realized that this was really a blessing in disguise. "The League has been operating relatively smoothly since Batman's departure. Others have taken on those jobs. There was some initial disruption, but the team dynamic has changed and for the better." She opened her mouth, perhaps to ask how he knew these things, but he kept going. "And Gotham gets my full attention this way."

"It doesn't _sound_ like Gotham has been getting your full attention," she retorted, folding her arms again. "Sounds to me like you've been checking up on the League a lot. Maybe even going into the Watchtower yourself to check on things." Her tone indicated exactly what she meant.

Bruce knew exactly what she was talking about. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"If you say so," she huffed, as the coaster began to slow. "But I remember a separate occasion when you said that exact sentence to me, Bruce. And I knew then, just as I do know, that you know _exactly_ what I was talking about."

Bruce didn't reply. Great. Now she was mad at him. This pseudo-date was taking a decidedly bad turn. But what had she expected, bringing up _work_ like this? Maybe it was better this way, and he shouldn't try to make amends.

They got out of the car without saying a word to each other, and Bruce tugged his cap lower over his eyes. Meanwhile, the conductor spoke to Diana. "How'd you like the ride, miss? Pardon me for my nosiness, but it sounded like you're a first-timer."

"It wasn't quite what I imagined it to be, honestly," she replied, and Bruce knew that she was glaring at him even though he wasn't facing her. "It was tedious. Repetitive. Stubborn."

"Stubborn?" the conductor asked, confused. Bruce smiled to himself as Diana blundered over her own double-meaning.

"Yes," she snapped at Bruce's back. "Wouldn't yield to reason."

Their was a pause as the conductor considered, and finally it seemed to dawn on him that this wasn't about the ride, but the argument between the couple in front of him. "Ohhh. Um" he lowered his voice to a whisper he obviously assumed Bruce couldn't hear- "I'm sorry, ma'am. But for the record, I think you can do better than him anyway."

Bruce wholeheartedly agreed with the sentiment, but didn't like the way the conductor had said it. He wheeled around and grabbed her hand. "Let's go."

As they set off aimlessly, she glared at him and spat, "So this is how it's always going to be? You're only going to show affection to me when you're trying to prove a point to people?"

As she wrenched her hand out of his, he ignored the sudden loss of heat. "No."

"I deserve better, Bruce." She turned her head away. And his heart squeezed at the expression of hurt that flitted over her face.

Bruce hated feeling helpless. He had such strong feelings for her, but was woefully incompetent in showing it. But what was he doing even thinking that? Why had he even asked her out? This internal struggle was his alone to endure; he had never wanted to inflict it on her; to hurt her or lead her on, but there it was.

"This was... a bad idea," he said, and his voice sounded empty, even to him. "I'm sorry."

Her eyes burned with fire, her lips set into a thin line. "Are you?" she asked. Bruce was startled to find a touch of bitterness there. She reached up and grabbed his sunglasses right off his face, with a frustrated expression. "Stop hiding."

She was right. He was a coward- He wished he could say he had kissed her earlier only for show, but he knew that wasn't it. He loved kissing her. Her sweet smell and the way her body fell into his and her perfect, kissable lips made it hard not to enjoy, and yet he only did it when he had an excuse to.

He sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets, once again finding himself unable to communicate what he really wanted to say. All he knew was, no matter what, he wanted to keep Diana in his life in some way or another. He wasn't sure if he could stand another person he cared about being angry with him right now. "One more ride," he said. "Have you ever been on the Ferris Wheel?"

She covered her surprise well, and put her hands on her hips. "This isn't going to change anything."

Sadly, he knew it wouldn't. There was no line at the seventy-five foot high Ferris Wheel, in fact not all cars were occupied; and as they climbed into one of the cars for themselves, Bruce thought that maybe this was the end of the road for them. A symbolic closure for both. Getting in, going full circle one more time together. Still being apart. And finally seeing that this was how it was always going to be.

He sat beside her, and the small distance was nothing- he could easily lean over it- and yet, it was everything, a whole world of miscommunications and frustration to travel over. Diana had her head turned away from him, eyes closed. In her clenched hand was his sunglasses, or at least what remained of them once she had finished crushing them. She looked... like she was about to cry.

His heart seized. This was never what he wanted. He had only seen Diana in tears once before- when they had thought Superman had died. And when he had seen that, this shining beacon of hope and love and compassion, _crying_, he had found himself hoping he'd never have to see that again.

The ferris wheel slowly began moving. Diana watched over the side rail, leaning on one elbow, but with a detached gaze. Bruce couldn't stand it- whatever his own ineptitude, she deserved at least an answer, an _explanation_, from him.

He drummed his fingers against the rail for a moment and looked up at the cloudy evening sky with resignation. Screw it, he was going to tell her. "I was engaged to be married twice," he said, out of the blue.

"Really?" Shock replaced anger in Diana's voice, although he couldn't see her face because it was turned away. "Is that supposed to make _me_ feel better?"

He had gone about it the wrong way, as usual. He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "No... that's not the point-"

At this point, their car reached the highest point of the ferris wheel's arc, the sun lowering over the horizon clearly visible from the height. Diana opened her mouth to say something just as the wheel came to a jarring stop.

Bruce peered down. The other occupied carriages were also confused; Bruce's keen eyes spotted the operator hurriedly speaking to a mechanic on the ground. "We're broken down," he said. "This might be a while." How lucky for him, stuck at the top of a ferris wheel with an angry Amazon.

It took him a second to realize he wasn't even thinking this sarcastically.

There was a pause; Bruce idly watched the view of Gotham's lights from their prime vantage point. Then, Diana spoke. "You were saying?"

He studied her for a moment, gauging her mood. She was still mad, but despite that, her curiosity had gotten the better of her. "Both times I was engaged," he continued, "I seriously considered giving up my... other life. For good. And I was _going_ to do it."

Her ocean blue eyes were wide ovals.

He kept going. "If I do something, I put all my attention on it. That's what I'm afraid of; Gotham needs Batman; and whenever I've gotten into a serious relationship, Gotham has taken the back seat. I can't allow that ever again."

Diana was silent for a moment. "Bruce, I know. You've always lived on extremes. But it doesn't have to be that way. I am able to balance."

He stared into his hands. "I can't let go of Batman. You realize that, right? You realize that's who I really am?"

"I know what you believe," she said firmly. "I know you think this" she reached forward to touch his jaw, briefly, "is a mask for _that_. But even _that_... is a mask. For the man you really are. You are more than just the sum of your masks, Bruce Wayne. When will you realize that?"

He didn't move from his pained position looking at his hands. Her words washed over him and he wanted to believe them but wasn't sure if he could.

"I fell in love with all of you," she continued. "Batman, Bruce Wayne, and everything in between. I will _never_ make you give up Batman. I would never _allow_ you let go of a part of yourself for me. So please." She took his unreadable face into her hands. "Let. Me. In."

He finally met her eyes. They were honest and open, just as always. Just as always, willing to accept him just the way he was. How did such an incredible woman come into his life? He leaned into her touch and thought to himself, _Give this a try. Give _us_ a try._

This was no feeling of recklessness. It was a careful thought, one that had been culminating for weeks, months, maybe years and finally ready to make it's presence known at this very moment. Tonight, his inner voices had quieted and left only the one, saying _Try_. It had never worked out before with a woman, but that didn't mean anything, he realized. It was ingrained in his very DNA to never give up, no matter how many times he got beat down. Why not in love, too?

The ice in his blue eyes met hers and melted in the face of the sun. A tension in his muscles flooded away. "What did I do to deserve you?" he wondered raspily.

She snorted. "Love doesn't look for _worthiness_. Love looks for a kindred spirit."

He smiled to himself. At least she was honest.

Diana continued, leaning in herself. "I am going to kiss you now. You can't stop me." His heart jumped.

"One step ahead of you, princess," he murmured. He caught her around the waist, leaned in, and branded her lips with his own.

There was no excuse to fall behind later and he knew it and he didn't care.

**A/N: R &amp; R! next ch is last installment of the date :( then we move on!**


	30. Chapter 30

**DIANA POV**

She pulled of his cap- it dropped into his lap- and dug her hands into his thick hair and pressed her body against him; his groan reverberated through her. His kisses were maddeningly slow. Controlled. _Thorough_.

She smiled to herself.

She felt his touch down to the very tips of her toes, a warmth that spread along her body wherever he touched her. And he touched her. Brushing her sides, stroking her back, gliding over her hair. Then his lips left hers.

"No don't stop..." she muttered, reaching for his jaw again. But he had other plans. She saw a little smirk cross his features before he burrowed his face into the crook of her neck.

"Mmm..." she half-moaned, her head falling back to give him better access. Amazingly, this was even better. She'd never known her throat had so many nerve endings, but Bruce's butterfly kisses seemed to find every single one.

Suddenly a different question popped up in her head, something that had crossed her mind when he'd been speaking before but she hadn't thought the right time to ask. "Who... who were you engaged to?" she murmured as he grazed the back of her ear with his nose. She was finding it near impossible to keep her eyes fully open while he was doing this. "Catwoman? Talia Al Ghul?"

A chuckle escaped him and the sound vibrated against her neck. "One would think so, wouldn't they?" He finally drew his head away in order to properly speak with her, and Diana found herself regretting interrupting the pleasurable experience with her curiosity. "But it wasn't anybody you could guess."

"It wasn't?" she asked, puzzled. Then, she noticed the bitter draw to his mouth and the way he was looking past her with eyebrows drawn together. She cursed herself for being so tactless. "I'm sorry. We don't have to talk about this..."

"No," he interrupted, life coming back to his eyes. He still held her very close to him, practically in his lap and didn't move from that position as he continued speaking. "I'll... tell you a bit. The first was Andrea Beaumont." He spoke her name with a subconscious reverence similar to the way he said hers sometimes.

Diana thought hard on the name but came up with nothing. She truly couldn't have guessed.

Meanwhile, he kept going as if he felt compelled. His eyes watched far into the distance over her head, and Diana saw a sadness there- one she knew he always carried with him- that she wished she could erase somehow. "I met her before I donned the cowl. Because of her, I had hope for a normal life. I was going to give up the promise to my parents."

Diana's eyebrows shot up. She'd heard him say it the first time, but it was still a shock. He always seemed so outwardly sure of himself, so confident, that it was sometimes hard to imagine the self-doubt he might have on the inside. "You were?"

"I felt guilty about it," he admitted, still looking far off. "But I was doing it." He gave a little laugh. It wasn't so much humour as bitterness. "Alfred was ecstatic. That was his dream for me."

She felt herself clinging tighter onto his shoulders. Hera, the Fates had never been kind to Bruce. "What happened?"

He finally brought his gaze back down to hers, his eyes back to their usual emotionless stare. "She left." He paused, his jaw working. "Andrea Beaumont never _truly_ came back, after that day. That was the catalyst. I returned to my old promise."

Diana sensed there was more of a story to this. The pain in his voice told her that his love for this Andrea Beaumont had been real. Strangely, this didn't bother her too much. Andrea had broken his heart, after all. And Diana had long since resolved never to do that to him herself.

She realized she was gripping him far too tightly, hard enough to leave bruises on a human. He wasn't flinching, of course, but when she let go and wrapped her arms around his neck instead, he gave a very small sigh of an exhale. She internally rolled her eyes at his stubbornness. "Sorry." He didn't reply, just kept gazing at her, so she said the next thing that came to mind. "And who was the second to capture the elusive heart of Bruce Wayne?"

Unexpectedly, he flinched. In _embarrassment_.

This piqued her interest even more, and she sat up on her knees, bringing her body even closer to his chest. "What? What is it?"

She saw some short internal struggle behind his eyes. Then: "I don't want to talk about it."

"Fair enough," she sighed, sitting back on her heels. She had been truthful when she said she wouldn't push him on this subject. But other things... "Well, then do you want to tell me how Clayface is your boyfriend?"

He sat there looking mildly confused for a second, then his face cleared as he remembered. "Oh. Bruce Wayne had to kiss him in order to expose his true identity." He explained what had happened.

Diana threw her head back and laughed. "Hera, Bruce. Is there anyone in Gotham that you _haven't_ kissed for some reason or another?"

His ice-blue eyes twinkled, the only hint of amusement on his face. "Well...I'm thinking it might be a little strange with Alfred..."

Diana giggled again and snuggled closer, allowing her adoration to show through her body language. She felt him stiffen a bit when she pressed her body completely against his, but to her delight, he didn't move away and even seemed to relax somewhat. To her disappointment, he didn't try to kiss her again, just put his arms loosely around her waist. "Why do we always talk about _my_ love life?" he asked with that sexy smirk ticking his mouth upwards. "What about you, princess?" He leaned down and said so very quietly into her ear, "Who has captured the Amazon's heart?" His lips brushed against her ear, sending a warm tingle down into her lower stomach.

She smiled at him. This would probably seem so strange to anyone else- talking about their past loves while so affectionately wrapped around each other. But for some reason, it wasn't the case here. "You," she told him.

He huffed at the cop-out. "No one? Ever? From your island or here? No one for me to be jealous about?" He pretended to look outraged. It was the worst acting he'd ever done.

"Some women from Themyscira had relationships with each other," she explained, amused, "but I never did. I was a baby raised among them. They all thought of me as a sister or a daughter to them, and I the same, by the time I had grown up." She suddenly recalled Zatanna's words about Bruce's jealousy and smiled mischievously. "But, if you must know, there _was_ one man..."

He made no outward reaction. But Diana was watching closely, so she saw his eyes shutter off. "Who?" he asked, in seemingly neutral tones.

"When we went back in time to World War Two," she told him. "You weren't there. Steve Trevor, he was in the army."

He watched her expressionlessly. "Were you... with him?" he asked softly.

She debated toying with him a while longer but decided to give the man a break. "No," she said, adding, "I kissed him, though."

He didn't say anything.

She knew the implied question in his stare, and felt compelled to add more. "Maybe if we had more time together, I could have loved him," she said softly. "But we didn't, so I'll never know."

Nothing in his physical position changed, yet somehow she felt him relaxing anyway. She smiled at him, trying to be comforting. If this was him jealous, she didn't think she liked it. Why should she try to stir up negative emotions in her lover? It was a little ridiculous. She was his.

Not wanting him to stew on it anymore, she lost patience and kissed him again. He responded immediately, doing something with his tongue that made her gasp. Mmm. He really knew how to push all the right buttons.

"They're taking a long time to fix this damn wheel," he muttered at some point when he pulled away for breath.

"Are you complaining?" she demanded, grabbing a fistful of his collar.

He grinned rakishly. "No."

She smiled through her kiss and was suddenly overcome with the need to feel his skin. Now. Her hands left their station buried in his hair and fell to the bottom hem of his shirt.

He inhaled sharply. "Princess-"

She shut him up with another kiss and slipped her hands underneath the fabric, gliding her hands over his lean, toned abdomen, the ridges of his muscles that tensed under her soft touch.

"Princess-" He tried again, then made a sound that was very much a frustrated groan. It satisfied Diana immensely to hear it.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful your scars are?" she asked him softly, running her hand lightly down his chest again. She couldn't see them but she felt them- the big ones, their raised ridges. They told the tales of his bravery.

He didn't reply, but his breathing was laboured and his gaze had darkened significantly. She felt his desire and delighted in it.

His grip on her hips might be bruising to a human woman. "Diana. Stop." He grabbed her hands and pushed them away.

She let him, frowning. "You don't want this?"

"I do," he replied, looking pained.

"But?..." she pressed, already itching to touch him again.

"But," he said, breathing evening out a bit, "not _here_."

Diana sat back, understanding what he meant. He captured her lips again, and they lost themselves in each other. So much so, that neither noticed when their carriage jarred into movement again.

In fact, Diana was only brought back to reality by an 'ahem'. She blinked and broke off the kiss, breathing unsteadily herself. They were already at ground level again, and the conductor was holding the gate open for them. She looked mildly amused.

Diana looked back at Bruce, who was still staring at her. His hair was sticking up every which way, his skin slightly flushed, and his pupils dilated. Diana supposed she must look equally ravaged.

She giggled at the thought before climbing out of the carriage. She turned back to see him, cap back on, still sprawled in the seat, watching her through those smouldering eyes.

The conductor made another impatient sound in her throat and Diana quickly extended her hand to him.

He looked at her hand, then, smiling slightly and shaking his head, let her help him up. The conductor giggled behind her hands, but Diana didn't understand why.

The sun had fully set, and the sky was starting to dim. But Diana's spirit had never felt brighter as they set off again through the significantly thicker crowds. Her heart singing, she grabbed his hand and laced her fingers into his.

He looked at their interlaced hands and for a moment she was afraid he would let go. But instead he said, with his usual pokerface, "Did you like the ferris wheel?"

She grinned. "I did. Unlike the roller coaster, it was _exactly_ what it promised to be."

"Hmmm," he said, and suddenly pulled her off to the side of the concession building.

"Bruce," Diana said, confused, "What-"

He cut her off with a kiss, backing her into the shadows of the side wall where the concession line was blocked from sight. His muscular body was flush against hers as he kissed her feverishly. A moan escaped her throat when he rolled his hips into hers, the friction eliciting a burst of pleasure. She felt like she was burning from the inside out.

He stopped kissing her a moment to say, "I still have time before patrol- Come back to the Manor with me."

A thrill raced up her spine at the steady lust in his gaze. "I'd like nothing better," she replied breathlessly.

Just then, his ever-vigilant eyes flickered as he noticed something out of her line of sight.

She turned. Someone- a woman in a red dress- held a camera phone to them. Before the shutter sound came, Bruce had stepped away from Diana a foot and turned his head away.

"Let's go," he said urgently, tugging his cap down further.

Diana looked at the woman, now trying to take another photo, and understood. They began walking briskly. "She'll sell that image to the papers, won't she?"

"Yes," he said curtly. She could tell he was mad at himself.

Things only got worse when the woman behind them shouted, "Hey! Mr. Wayne, wait! Can I have an autograph?"

Bruce hissed a curse word as faces began turning in their direction. "So much for the Fair."

A loud murmur began to arise behind them. Diana followed Bruce's lead in his beeline towards the gates.

He stopped abruptly. "Damn it," he swore. "The front gates are blocked. We're going to have to find another way out of here."

"Why?" Diana asked, looking around at the crowds closing in on them. "They just want to meet us."

"You don't understand," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her in another direction. "This isn't an organized meet-and-greet or function. This is potentially thousands of people realizing that two international celebrities are in their midst. We'll get trampled."

As if to illustrate his point, a hand closed around Diana's other wrist. She turned to see an excited looking young man examining her face.

"Let go of me, please," Diana said politely, still walking.

The man tugged harder. Losing patience, Diana shook him off. Hard.

The crowd seemed to go silent for a second as the man sailed backwards several feet and landed on his bottom with a glazed smile. "Cool!" He said happily. "I got hit by Wonder Woman!" The crowd resumed its hysterical screaming.

Diana supposed she would probably never fully understand Man's World.

"Oh, there's no point to pretending," she muttered. She grabbed Bruce's arm. "I'm sorry."

He didn't reply; in fact, he had stopped walking completely, having seen something that made him freeze. Diana didn't waste time asking what- she launched them both thirty feet into the air just as several more hands closed in on their location.

She went up a little further, until the faces of the people below became little dots on the ground. "I know you don't like flying," she apologized.

Bruce still didn't say anything. He didn't even seem irritated by the way she was holding him, her arms wrapped around his back.

"Bruce?" she asked uncertainly as she flew over the park limits. "What happened?"

His eyes had taken on the familiar clinical glint of the Bat. "I think we're going to have to cut this date short, Princess."

Diana landed on the roof of a warehouse, unable to help her small feeling of disappointment. "Bruce-"

"I have to get to work," he added, disentangling himself and stepping away. "It's almost time for patrol anyway."

"All _right_," she snapped, frustration welling up in her. It wasn't so much the news that she wouldn't have him physically any time soon as it was the fact he wasn't telling her what had happened. "Bruce. What happened back there?"

He looked at her squarely then, and it was the unrelenting icy stare of Batman. "Nothing." He turned away, adjusting his cap, and began to walk away. "I'll have Alfred send your prize to the Watchtower. Good night."

She didn't stop him- she recognized when he wasn't going to share. She just watched him go, finding his imaginative way down the building's wall to the ground, and trying to figure out what it was that made him _change_ so drastically.

**BRUCE POV**

He shimmied down a fire escape and dropped one story to the ground, landing on his two feet. He could feel her watching him, but he couldn't tell her what he'd seen- he knew she had all the best intentions, but she'd just go and report back to the League with it.

And this, this was _his_ business. He didn't want the League nosing into Gotham now.

He'd seen just a glimpse in the crowd back in the fair- and his mind had sprung at the mystery; he just needed to figure out how- and why- Talia Al Ghul was alive and back in Gotham.

**A/N: Thanks everybody for the 400+ reviews, and all the favs/follows, I've been overwhelmed with response and I love it, all your kind words and excellent suggestions. **

**A Guest reviewer brought something up that I'd like to address: Guest, I agree with you on 'the slipper slope' and many other counts. I was never too fond of a lopsided relationship in which Bruce essentially became Diana's b*tch because that is just not who he is. I think of course that Diana in his life would make him happier, but that's not something he would outwardly show that often since he's so emotionally constipated :P I acknowledge, that's a hard balance to strike but I just want y'all to know I do keep it in mind. I think I could have been clearer in the last chapter, Bruce was more amused than serious, but gimme a break, I didn't proofread that chapter well anyway lol. Thanks for the comment, though, because it reminds me to keep aware of the dynamic I'm trying to portray :D**


	31. Chapter 31

**DIANA POV- TWO DAYS LATER**

"Well?" Diana pressed. "Did your team find anything?"

"Yeah, we actually did," said Supergirl offhandedly, twirling a strand of blond hair between her two fingers. "And it's not cool. From what we hear, Metropolis is in big trouble."

Diana's eyebrows shot up. "Report?"

Supergirl put her hands up, her casual attitude evaporating. "I haven't had time to write a report yet!" Diana opened her mouth to speak but Supergirl kept quickly speaking. "We followed the leads that Cla- Superman gave. We tracked down some of these 'assassins' in the 'burbs. We didn't interfere, just, um, spied. Wonder Woman, I did this thing by the _book_."

Diana felt a smile tugging at her lips. "You've made your point, Kara. I'm sure you'll make a wonderful leader on future missions as well. What did you hear?"

"These 'assassin' people, those guys with the wicked looking knives, are going to gas Metropolis city in three days," Supergirl recited as if she'd memorized it. "With some sort of fear agent. It'll make everybody go nuts and tear apart the city." She paused. "Sounds like something out of Gotham, actually. And they have a huge store of the stuff but the people we were watching don't even know where it is. Basically we're sitting ducks until three days from now."

"No, we're not," Superman said from the door. Diana and Supergirl turned. He'd apparently been listening to every word.

He looked very determined. "We finally have a chance to be proactive about something instead of reactive."

"But we don't even know anything about the location of where they're keeping this stuff," Supergirl pointed out.

Superman mulled it over, but the glint in his eyes was determined. Diana knew how protective he felt about his city, the same kind of attachment Batman had to Gotham. "Then I want all available League forces in Metropolis that day- they're going to have to come out at some point. We're going to weed them them out- weed out the assassins, and Al Ghul if he truly is alive and behind this- and prevent this." He paused and looked at his cousin. "Until then, I want an investigation effort focussed on finding it beforehand. Kara, Question's on your team, and he's the best we have. Get him working on this."

"I think he already is," Supergirl replied. "Last I heard, he was muttering in his room with a spool of red string."

"Great," said Superman absentmindedly.

"But he hasn't been able to find any connections in Metropolis yet," Supergirl added.

"He will," Diana reassured Superman, whose brow was furrowed. She had absolute faith in the Question- regardless of his extreme paranoia- to find every possible scrap of detail there was to find.

"Good," muttered a distracted Superman. "I have to go take care of something. Diana, hold the fort for a while?"

**BRUCE POV**

Superman was in the Batcave.

Bruce pondered for a moment whether to acknowledge his presence or not; then decided to just wait him out.

A few minutes passed when Superman finally decided to step into the light. Bruce didn't look up from what he was doing, but the shadow cast over him told him enough.

"Bruce," Superman said. "I'm here."

"Your inclination to state the obvious is astounding," Bruce deadpanned.

Superman ignored the jab. "How long have you been doing that?"

Bruce spared a glance at the clock from where he was lying in abdominal plank position. "Two hours." A bead of sweat dropped from his forehead, hitting the enlarged photos of Ra's Indian stronghold that lay for his examination beneath him.

His friend's tone was disbelieving. "You've been staring at those pictures for two hours?"

Bruce would have shrugged if his arms weren't shaking from the plank position. Ever since he'd seen Talia two nights ago, he'd spent all his free time trying to find out what the Al Ghuls were up to in Gotham. He must have missed something at the scene of their supposed death, which was why he was examining it so closely.

Superman kept talking. "When you multitask your workout _and_ your investigation, then I know you're working yourself to the ground. And I think _planking_ for two hours must be some kind of record for humans, Bruce."

"The record is somewhere at three, and I'm certain I can pass it, thanks for your concern," Bruce replied, squinting at a corner of the photo where the debris revealed a shard of the shattered relic. In the back of his mind he did note that it was strange that they hadn't seen each other for months due to fallout and were just casually conversing like this. "What do you want, Clark?"

"I'm actually here on behalf of the League," Superman said importantly. "Because we had a vote the other day..."

Bruce decided to let him finish. In the meantime, he squinted at a shard of relic visible in the debris on the photo he was looking at.

"...and we've decided to officially extend an invitation for Batman to join the League again," Superman finished. "We need you on the team, Bruce. I'm truly sorry for all our anger at you."

"No."

There was a pause. Bruce waited, eyes glued to the photo.

"That's it? 'No'?"

"There, you've got it," Bruce replied snidely. "Now leave. I have a lot of work to do before patrol tonight."

Before Bruce knew it, he found himself face to face with the irritated Kryptonian's sky blues, hoisted off the ground by the collar of his Under Armour tee. There went the world record for planking.

"This isn't about your ego." Superman paused. "Or mine. The fact is, the League needs Batman. We need your logic, your intelligence, your skill. And you know something? Batman uses the League's resources, too."

"The League's resources are generally my resources that I lent out," Bruce pointed out.

"Not the people on the team," Superman argued. "Bruce, we work better together."

Bruce snorted, but it was a little bit difficult to keep a cool demeanour when your hands and feet were dangling off the ground. "That's my final answer, _Kent_."

Alfred suddenly poked his head through the entrance to the Batcave and both men's heads snapped towards the sound. "Master Bruce, I heard- ooh." He sounded amused at the scene before him.

"Not now," Bruce barked.

"As you wish," Alfred coughed into his hand to contain his laughter as he left again.

Superman chuckled quietly and Bruce internally sighed. He felt like a teenager whose coolness factor had just been significantly reduced due to a parental appearance.

"Get out," Bruce said half-heartedly, looking up at the ceiling.

Superman let go of his collar, finally. Bruce landed on his feet and instantly went over to sit at the Computer.

Behind him, Superman said quietly, "Bruce, I truly hope you'll think about it, at least."

Bruce didn't reply, staring blindly at the screen as he rapidly scrolled through reports.

"With the amount of time you spend on the computer, I can't believe you don't need glasses," Superman remarked. "What's that?"

Bruce looked blandly in the direction Clark was pointing. A piece of piping sat for observation on the deck. "Nothing." It was, in fact, something. Evidence from the scene with Killer Croc and Scarecrow some time ago- the kind of glass piping used for scientific purposes had been found with the shipment. It had struck him as familiar. But he wasn't telling Clark any of that.

A pause. "There's something else I want to talk to you about."

His tone of voice made Bruce swivel in his chair. "I'm not going to hurt her."

His friend sighed, folding his arms. "How did you- never mind." He narrowed his eyes at Bruce. "You should have seen her the other night, she was practically skipping down the hallway after your little date that made it into the papers. Nice hat, by the way. Metropolis flattened the Knights the other day, did you hear?"

Bruce yawned. Lack of sleep was taking its toll, but it was at least effective in communicating boredom to the Kryptonian in front of him.

"Anyway. Bruce, you're my friend. But if you break her heart, I swear..." Superman shook his head, trailing off; seemingly unsure of what he would do.

Inexplicably, Bruce was amused at Superman's failed big-brother instinct. "You'll shake your head at me?" Bruce asked with a trace of feigned horror. "My god, Kent. You could give Darkseid torture tips."

Superman eyed him sourly. "Just don't do it, all right? Love her like she deserves. I know you do."

Bruce's amusement vanished; he didn't answer.

"And you should tell her," his friend added. "Life is short."

Bruce thought that was kind of rich coming from a man who had secretly pined after his coworker for years. "Get out or I'll find that Kryptonite bullet," he snapped.

Superman finally walked over to the transporter but didn't rise to the bait. "You know what, Bruce? I understand what you did. It was necessary. But it was also something that no one else would have considered. That's why we _need_ you on the team. You've got a different angle on the world then the rest of us."

Bruce pretended to himself that he didn't delight in his best friend's forgiveness. "That's because I _live_ on the world, rather than above it like the rest of you."

"I was thinking about it," Superman continued loudly, punching in coordinates to the transporter, "And I realized something then, a question I never got to ask. Did you ever make a contingency plan for _yourself_, Bruce? Or were you so arrogant that you thought there didn't need to be one?"

Bruce stayed silent.

Superman pointed an accusing finger just as he began to shimmer out of the Batcave. "_That's_ why Batman needs the Justice League. To _stop_ him."

**A/N: I always enjoy writing Bat/Supes interactions. R &amp; R!**

**This is all playing into the last arc of this story which will (hopefully) tie up some loose ends. I'm pulling some inspiration from a few different media (or mediums? *grammar nazi frown*) but I'm thinking I'll give credit at the end so as to avoid minor spoilers.**


	32. Chapter 32

**DIANA POV- TWO DAYS LATER**

Diana scanned the evening Gotham skyline from where she was floating. Things at the League had been busy, what with Superman bringing back (predictable) news that Batman had declined to join them, and the Metropolis investigation- bewilderingly enough, the Question had found no real leads yet. Al Ghul was working incredibly far under the radar.

So during break, here she was. She'd been hoping it was day time so she could see Bruce at home, but it was night here. His work hours. It was a little difficult to tell what time it was when you lived out in space. Even though the last time she'd seen him, he'd pretty much dismissed her without telling her what was going on.

She knew there wasn't a whole lot of chance that he wanted to talk tonight, but to her utter surprise, she saw him crouched in one of his usual observations spots, a typical Gotham gargoyle on a tower. No Robins or Batgirls in sight, she noticed, shaking her head at his overprotective instinct.

He didn't look up when she drifted closer; in fact, he stood so still he seemed part of the shadows.

"Princess," he said. She listened hard to any intonations in his voice. There were none- no hint of softness, but no hint of annoyance either. Completely blank and emotionless. "You shouldn't be here."

"Why," returned Diana. "because 'no metas in Gotham'?"

He cocked his head at her mockery of his baritone.

She lowered her voice to a whisper- her keen senses told her no one was even remotely around, especially at this height, but still. "I meant what I said. I'll never make you choose between me and Gotham. I can leave right now."

There was a pause before his next words. "If I wanted you to leave, you'd be gone already." He turned his head back to surveillance, his jaw in profile strong and unyielding.

Diana smiled to herself and floated over to sit down on the narrow ledge. "You're still not going to tell me about what happened at the Fair, are you?"

He didn't reply.

She leaned back and examined him. He was looking especially tense today. "What are you doing right now?"

He didn't reply.

"Brooding?" She grinned. "I should have known. Have you even done anything yet tonight?"

Again he surprised her by answering. "I tracked down Poison Ivy."

She crossed her legs. "And?"

"And she's back at Arkham."

Diana was silent a moment, then decided to ask a question that most never dared. "Why... why do you always put them _back_ in Arkham?" She'd heard of the asylum's legendary revolving doors and the whole method seemed completely ineffective- it confused her that a man so logical and efficient as him would keep putting them back there.

He huffed. "You've heard about my 'rogues gallery', have you?" He finally turned to look at her, those white lenses boring straight into her soul. "They aren't ordinary criminals. They were all born from tragedy, betrayal or just being someone different. Lived through horrible things. They had to become something else in order to survive, and to be able to deal with it." He barked a short, grim laugh. "Some would say I belong in there with them."

Diana frowned. Bruce was an odd person by Man's World standards, she knew that. But in her view, his devotion to a cause, his infallible moral compass and his will to keep fighting were characteristics of a true warrior, not an insane man. "I know what they say. But why do you think this place helps them?"

He sighed slightly- his breath misted in the cool night air. "I know Arkham can do some good, because I know the pain they go through. They may hate me, but I understand them better than they realize. And that's why I want them to get help rather than rot in Blackgate. They were once good people." His tone was matter-of-fact, like he was talking about the weather. "So many of them have come incredibly close to rehabilitation. Some were even rehabiliated before their pasts caught up with them again. It's difficult for them to leave their mistakes behind."

Diana wasn't totally sure she agreed with his viewpoint. These people kept committing the same crimes over and over; sometimes Gotham truly seemed like a place beyond saving. But she knew Batman would keep fighting for the small amount of good people who lived here.

But she was again getting the distinct feeling he wasn't only talking about Arkham inmates, and felt the need to speak to it. "You're not them, Bruce. There's a difference." There was a silence so she plundered on. "Those backstories and those tragedies? It helps explain their crimes. Those are _reasons_ that they are the way they are. But they aren't excuses." Her hand went over his own gloved one.

He didn't move it, but turned his head back to the scene below. "I know."

So they sat there for a minute, his armoured body tantalizingly close to Diana's own. He seemed comfortable to just sit with her in silence and so was she. She had missed this, this rapport between them, before things had become complicated at the League- being assigned on missions and stakeouts and getting a little thrill out of knowing he was on the team as well.

"How's Metropolis this time of year?" he asked abruptly.

She looked at him, startled for a second, then realized he must have seen in the papers. Diana didn't normally make it a secret when she was in a town, and she'd been stationed in Metropolis more regularly recently. "Fine," she replied, wondering how much League classified information she was allowed to divulge to a non-member. League secrecy, superhero politics- it was all so incredibly stupid. She found herself reminiscing over a time when her only job had been to save people, no questions asked. Not that her duties now were a problem- but those were simpler times.

"Did you know," Diana added, making conversation, "Supergirl's a team captain now? She's leading missions."

She really wished she could see his expression under the cowl. "Is she doing a good job?"

Diana laughed. What a Batman question to ask in the face of this kind of news. "She's become a wonderful leader, just like her cousin."

"Hmm," he said. "That's surprising. She always seemed too stubborn for leadership. Headstrong."

Diana tapped a finger against her chin. "Remind you of anyone we know?"

The smallest trace of a smile crossed his lips and was gone. "I _did_ train her."

Diana grinned. "Most of the new recruits that attended your training sessions had second thoughts about joining the League, and we had to talk them back in. Kara wasn't one of them. Thanks for that, by the way."

"Doing what we do isn't easy," he argued. "They had to know our work wasn't just fun and games."

Diana noted the way he said 'we' but didn't comment on it. "I think you could have found a better way to communicate that than scaring them." When he huffed, she was compelled to add, "_My_ sessions were popular with recruits."

He snorted and sardonically replied, "What did you do in _yours_? Handed out freebies? Kissed babies?"

"No," she laughed. "I was kind and encouraging, but firm."

"You're right. Kissing babies sounds more like Superman," he smirked.

From his tone of voice Diana concluded he was thinking about Kal's request to join the League. She knew that Gotham was often more than enough to fill any one person's plate, but still...

"Why _really_ no metas in Gotham?" she asked, turning her body fully his way. "We could help so much around this city." She understood he had worked hard to achieve his status in Gotham and more powerful superheroes would undermine this progress but there had to be more.

Diana couldn't be sure, but somehow it seemed like he was rolling his eyes behind those intense white lenses. "Metas in Gotham would be a short term solution. It would make Gotham... dependent."

"It's already dependent on you," Diana pointed out.

"I don't expect you to understand." And he left it at that.

His tone of voice was beginning to irritate her; she sat up straight, folding her arms, and demanded, "Then _make_ me understand!"

She had a feeling he didn't explain this that often by the way he hesitated slightly, as if choosing words. As if nobody had ever questioned his reasoning behind it. Maybe, she mused, people thought Batman was a mystery because they didn't bother trying to solve it.

"Gotham _made_ Batman," he said slowly. "Batman isn't just a hero. He's really meant to be a symbol for the people- as a symbol, he's incorruptible and everlasting. He helps them get through dark times.

Diana tapped her chin. "So in a way, you bring hope as well as fear."

He paused but didn't acknowledge the comment. "So, Gotham doesn't depend on Batman, Batman depends on Gotham. The day he isn't needed will be the day he disappears."

Diana sat back and thought about his words. She sort of got what he was saying, but at the same time... "I think that might have made more sense in your head."

A small smile curved over his lips. "I told you you wouldn't understand."

"Why not?"

"You're a meta."

Diana threw her hands up with half-amusement and half-irritation. "And metas are what, unintelligent?"

"You try to solve everything with your fists. It's not your fault, you can't help it. It's what anyone with more power than the average person does. They tend to exercise that power in any and all situations even when there are better solutions that don't involve using it."

The fact that he delivered these lines with no trace of condescension at all, as if it were fact, pricked her somehow.

"Why, you arrogant man," she seethed. "I think that could apply to you as well-"

"I have to go," he said suddenly, standing up and pulling out his grapple. He then turned his face to her and added, "But we can continue this discussion later." He paused, and his face was unreadable as usual when he said his next words. "Over dinner. Does next Friday work for you?"

She stared at him for a second in complete surprise, and found her annoyance draining away to be replaced with amusement at the smooth segue. Especially at the way his facial expression didn't change at all. He might have been discussing a mission report.

It kind of made her want to kiss him. "Yes, yes it does," she laughed, and found herself unable to stop giggling.

The line of his mouth softened slightly as he fired his grapple to another building's ledge and swooped away in typical Batman fashion.

She watched his cape billow out until he faded in with the darkness of the horizon. He was so infuriating. But that was sort of part of the reason she was attracted to him. Maybe, she thought with some humour as she rested leaning against the building, Shayera was right about her penchant for 'bad boys'.

**Huh, I kind of like the idea of them having heated philosophical arguments. R &amp; R!**

**Sh-t's about to get real, by the way. Fair warning.**


	33. Chapter 33

**BATMAN POV**

He still found himself in a light mood (or at least as light as Batman could get) even after he had left Diana laughing on the building's ledge but now, in the vent system of the WayneTech building on the outskirts of Gotham, he focussed on the task at hand.

The piece of glassware that had been with the chemicals Croc and Scarecrow were delivering was familiar because it was WayneTech brand. That had led him to his own suspicions... which to some might seem more like paranoia, but it had never hurt- and indeed often helped- to check. He hadn't been here in quite a while, even as Bruce Wayne.

At this hour, no one was in the building. Everything was dark but that was just the way Batman liked it. He kicked open a vent door and landed soundlessly in a crouch in the middle of the hallway. A button on his belt sent all the cameras into an constant loop so that he could go through unseen.

An instinctual feeling of unease rose in his gut as he looked around. He wasn't entirely sure what he was even looking for. He was just beginning to think maybe his gut was wrong this time when, after easily unlocking a heavy-security door, he was met with an unpleasant surprise.

He recognized the chemical sitting in these containers immediately. He had seen it- and felt its effects- more times than he could even count. He pulled a vial from his belt and poured some of it from a beaker; he would bring it back to the cave for further analysis. On the wall, the familiar clear glass piping was empty. His gaze followed the piping to where it came from- some kind of aerosol diffuser attached to a beaker of the liquidized chemical chemical. With the diffuser turned on, the chemical theoretically evaporated to gas.

He swept silently through the room, pausing to examine charts that adorned the walls, all of which appeared to have false information about the chemicals, making it sound less like fear gas and more like _tear_ gas.

It all was starting to click together in his mind. Killer Croc and Scarecrow- the LexCorp collaboration- fear gas- the relic shards- _Al Ghul_-

He didn't move from his position staring at the charts on the glass wall. "Ra's," he acknowledge the presence of the Demon's Head. "I should have known you were behind all of this."

A low chuckle rang from somewhere behind him. Batman's keen observation skills told him that there a few Assassins with him as well. "You caught on far earlier than I thought you might, Detective. I'm impressed."

"_I'm_ impressed you're alive," Batman replied casually, watching the shadows reflecting off the glass move. "How?"

The voice behind him was amused. "You can't really be surprised? I am a Master of death. I have escaped it so many times before. But I will humour you. After my stronghold fell, my daughter and I were grievously injured. Talia, I daresay, was already in the clutch of death. But the relic... It's shards were around us, and it's magic, while fading fast, was still there..."

Batman's mind was working very fast. He filled in the blanks. "You used what shards of the relic you could find to create a Lazarus Pit."

"Indeed," said Ra's. Both men's tones of voice were carefully casual. "It's a strange thing, Detective... the magic made the chemicals in the Pit so much more potent. It invigorated our bodies and made us stronger than ever before. Unfortunately, the magic had depleted itself by that time and the Pit disappeared. But no matter. I'm standing here, aren't I?" He laughed in his sinister way again. But now Batman also noticed the chuckle was something a little different than Ra's usual variety- it seemed almost... unhinged.

He turned around. Ra's Al Ghul and two assassins stood at the opposite side of the room. Even with the distance, Batman saw the madness in his eyes. The strength of the Pit must have not only given more vitality, but also the temporary insanity a much, _much_ longer life.

Ra's was not himself. Of this, Batman was certain. And it made the man so much more dangerous.

"But that's not what I'm here to discuss," Ra's continued, now clasping his hands behind his back and walking a few meters to peer into a beaker on a nearby table. Batman remained rooted to the spot. "No. Not at all. I'd hoped to have this talk with you later, but I underestimated your deductive abilities once again. Maybe it's for the best."

"Stop stalling," growled Batman, fists clenched beneath his cape. But he didn't attack. Not yet. He didn't know just yet what he was dealing with. Ra's liked to talk, it was a weakness of his to taunt his opponent. It suited Batman's purposes well.

Ra's suddenly slammed his fist down on the table in a show of uncharacteristic anger. It left a huge dent in the metal; Batman was starting to wonder just how strong Ra's now was.

"_I_ am in command and _I_ will dictate the terms," Ra's hissed. Just as suddenly, the intense rage was gone and the casual man was back, straightening his posture and continuing his little speech while Batman watched him like a hawk. "You have interfered with my plans so many times, Detective. You have always stood in the way of everything I stood for. No, you ruined everything I did for the world. You have left me with nothing."

Batman thought that was a bit of an exaggeration for a man with an international empire and near-endless social and economic resources. But Ra's next words sent a chill down his spine:

"Now I think it's time to return the favour."

"Ra's..." Batman began in a quiet, dangerous tone that had reduced some of the most influential people in the world into blubbering messes.

But Ra's Al Ghul paid no heed. "You love this city. You love this festering wound so much you sacrifice everything you have to protect it. And so, I will destroy it. No, that's not quite right. _You_ will destroy it." He spread his arms out the room around them. "Isn't the irony delicious, Detective? Your very own company synthesized the chemical that will cleanse the Earth of Gotham."

Batman ground his teeth together. "Killer Croc and Scarecrow."

"Yes, Doctor Crane," replied Ra's, amused. "And I did enlist some of Gotham's home grown psychopaths to do some medial tasks for me. Now this particular strain of toxin, born in this very room" he patted one of the vials- "is particularly potent. It's effects... well, I think you'll find that out soon enough."

The small smirk playing about his lips told Batman there was more at play here. But he needed to confirm it, all of it. "Mercy Graves. The collaboration."

Ra's grinned widely. "Yes. I told you my network of people is vast. I had great respect for Lex Luthor, so I gave his female successor the benefit of the doubt. That weapons collaboration was achieved right under your nose, wasn't it? Perhaps under normal circumstances, you might have stopped it. You were... otherwise distracted."

Batman's eyes widened momentarily under the cowl. He _couldn't_ _mean_-?

Ra's saw his line of thinking. "No, I had nothing to do with the foul abduction of Robin by the psychopath that _you_ allowed to live," he said conversationally. "But I admit it was convenient for my cause. That, of course being, destroying everything you love. Making you feel that despair."

"You're not thinking straight, Ra's," Batman said in a low voice, his hands under the cape slipping into his belt. "The Lazarus chemicals are still affecting your mind."

"Yes, they have. They have enlightened me," Ra's said. The combination of an insane man trying to act rational reminded Batman too much of the Joker. "To what I must do now. And now that you're here, I can finally start the next phase of my plan."

Batman knew what the assassins were going to do before they even moved. He threw down the smoke bomb just as they leaped at him.

"You and your parlour tricks," hissed Ra's from somewhere far away as Batman moved. "No matter..."

Meanwhile Batman was silently choking out one of the asassins in the corner of the room. Quickly, he patted him down for anything else of interest, but didn't get the chance to finish. Ra's suddenly appeared before him, walking surely through the smoke as easily as if it were nothing at all.

"I told you my body's capabilities are enhanced. That includes sight," Ra's said as Batman's eyes widened. Caught off guard by the new development, Batman was unable to move in time to avoid the fist.

It was just a jab punch- no body movement at all, no torso twist to give the punch more power; only the elbow snaking out. And yet, this hit threw Batman back ten feet, crashing onto a table of the liquidized fear toxin and sliding across it. The sounds of glass smashing cracked through his eardrums.

Despite feeling like he might have received a concussion; Batman leapt off the table, fighting off the dizziness. He calculated his odds- he'd underestimated Ra's badly.

"I meant what I said," Ra's said, slowly advancing towards him. "I'm very strong. Perhaps I could challenge the Kryptonian. Definitely the Amazon."

Batman narrowed his eyes. Meanwhile the smoke had mostly cleared, but the second assassin was nowhere to be seen.

Ra's experimentally flexed his fingers. "Yes, the Amazon. My daughter was a little bit upset when news of your affair reached us. She seems to think you've replaced her. But I know better. You don't love anything truly, except this _filthy_ city."

Batman wondered where in this picture of revenge Talia fit in. Before Batman could think on that, Ra's lunged again. Batman jumped out of the way, over Ra's head and behind him. But Ra's was still fast- he turned with a back kick that Batman only barely dodged.

This adversary was formidable. Ra's was fast, intelligent and technically skilled like before, but now he also had brutal strength and enhanced reflexes and senses to back it. In short, this was a lopsided fight, just like fighting Superman. The difference here being, Ra's didn't seem to have a kryptonite.

Batman acknowledged to himself that he probably could not win this fight, especially with no prior planning. With what he knew now, the responsible thing would be to escape and live to deal with the impending fear toxin crisis in Gotham. It hurt his ego but there it was.

Meanwhile, he was barely fending off Ra's swift attacks. He found himself backed into a corner. Too infrequently was he getting any good shots in himself, while Ra's was starting to land more hits. And they _hurt_. Ra's hit as hard as Diana.

While Batman staggered, Ra's grabbed him by the throat and smashed him into the wall. Behind Batman's head, the glass of the wall's piping shattered, and a _hiss_ went through the air.

There was gas in that piping now, Batman realized. His mind put two and two together- while Ra's had been distracting him, his other assassin had been diffusing the liquidized chemical into gas. Too late. He inhaled, and he felt the gas set fire to his lungs. He coughed.

Ra's watched him with a sadistic smile on his face. "And to think, with a magical Lazarus Pit, my lungs are so strong I don't even need a gas mask. You, on the other hand..."

Batman coughed again. His vision was wavering. This was no ordinary fear toxin. "What... what did you do to me?"

Ra's was all too ready to answer. "That, Detective, was the extremely concentrated version of the final product." He tapped his chin. "I believe we scrapped it because it was killing people too fast, before they could really do any damage. But you, you can handle it, can't you? You've escaped death almost as many times as I have."

Even as his thinking was beginning to cloud, Batman caught on to Ra's wording. "Before they could... could do any damage?" Ra's let go of Batman's throat, and he fell to his knees, sluggish.

"Oh, but didn't I mention?" Ra's smiled widely, a deranged expression coming over him in his glee. "This isn't _just_ a fear toxin. It will cause extreme aggression and violence in the early stages. Later, you will succumb to the fear and lose control of your faculties. And when all is said and done, you will die from it." He paused. "This... this is more than Fear toxin. I call this _Chaos_."

Batman could no longer be sure if what he was seeing and hearing was real or just in his spinning head. He collapsed from his knees onto his stomach, and even then his arms struggled to heave him back up. Ra's casually planted a boot on his back and continued speaking.

"Another thing I forgot to mention- Not only will Gotham fall tomorrow by the doing of your own empire-_You_ are going to be destroyed as well. I know you've worked hard to cultivate your persona. Your image. Your symbol of hope for a _pathetic_ people who do not deserve it." Disgust in his voice now. "When their so-called symbol of hope ruins his own reputation tonight, do you think Gotham will take you back? If _you_ live to survive it, Batman will not. Maybe you will finally see what I have tried to teach you about the scourge of humanity. They _cannot_ become better. They _cannot_ be saved. And now, neither can you."

Something of that permeated the pain building in Batman's head and he struggled against what felt like an elephant on his back.

Ra's kicked him in the stomach, flipping him over onto his back. "Goodbye, Detective." A maniacal laugh rang through Batman's ears. Everything faded away into black.

Somewhere, distantly, he heard screaming. It was soul-wrenching, it went on forever and ever. It was his mother's scream the night that the Waynes died.

_No_! he thought, horrified, in his head. _Don't hurt my mother!_ His terror overcame him, tearing a scream from his throat. He felt like he was eight years old again...

But that terror began to slowly change into something else. Something more fiery. Something that _burned_ his soul in a familiar way. _You _won't_ hurt my mother_. And then, Batman's vision began to fade back in.

To a haze of red.

In the now empty room, the Bat rose again.

**A/N: Dayum. Am I right? As always, love reviews!**


	34. Chapter 34

**BATMAN POV**

He was trapped in his own head. He was vaguely aware of leaving the building, feeling the cool night air on his face, all the while his mother's scream ringing in his ears.

Little voices whispering in his ear as he went.

_What do you think you can accomplish in this stupid costume? Have you affected anything? You set out to protect a city and you've done nothing to help it. You sacrificed your soul for nothing!_

_No_. His head was pounding. _It was_ _something_!

_The only thing it was, was your failures_, the nasty voice continued. _You're not special. There are millions of children who lost their parents in more horrific ways than you. Yet it was only you that chose to go into the darkness_.

Stop, he internally begged, squeezing his eyes shut.

_It didn't have to be this way. You could have had a different life. A happier one full of people_.

It was necessary, he told himself. A sacrifice for the city.

_You're a coward, Bruce Wayne, for choosing to bury your pain. You push your faithful butler away at every chance. You've taken wards in, but never adopted them as sons. You avoid spending time with colleagues. You can't even commit to a relationship- you know you'll mess it up sooner or later. You purposely offend any person that tries to know you, to make them leave._

_Because you're afraid if _you_ don't, _they'll_ leave you themselves someday. _Killing your parents was cruel. But what was even crueler was leaving you alive, wasn't it? It made you fear human contact.__

_No. _He shook his head vehemently, but still that poison poured into his soul. Or perhaps, from his soul.

_At the end of your life, you'll be that sad old man that you saw in the future. Remember Superman's state funeral? How many people were there? When you die, nobody will care. When you die, somebody'll find your body and bury it in the graveyard somewhere at the back... Shoved away in the _darkest_ shadows. Isn't that what you wanted? _the voice mocked. _Nobody will even notice you're gone. _

The agony twisted his heart at the truth of it all.

He opened his eyes with a gasp, revealing the streets of Gotham. A rain poured from the sky, but it wasn't water. The streets were pooling with blood.

With horror, he saw his parents' bodies lying on the end of the street. His mother's body on top of his fathers, crisscrossing against each other, their eyes open and unseeing.

To the side, he noticed Alfred watching him from the sidewalk. Batman took a step towards him, when suddenly a gunshot rang through the air.

Alfred looked down with a clinical interest at the blooming red rosette on his otherwise pristine white shirt.

"No!" Batman shouted as Alfred fell to his knees and then slumped onto his side in the streets of blood.

Batman wheeled around to see the killer, and was once again horrified to see the shrouded figure of Joe Chill that had haunted his dreams since he was a child. But it was as if the focus was all on the gun in his hand- Batman couldn't even make out his face.

But it didn't matter. Feeling a snarl twist his mouth, he leaped with all the strength of the Bat and none of his restraint. Dimly, in his bloodthirsty haze, he noticed Chill wasn't fighting back at all. And when Batman let go and the man fell to the ground, he saw something else that made his blood run cold.

Nightwing lying in the bloody street, his neck at an odd angle. And standing above him, laughing, was Ra's Al Ghul.

White-hot rage bust through his veins. No- Not Dick- "You will pay," he snarled, and he hit and he hit and he hit until the madman fell.

But there was more.

Tim slumped against a wall, face paper-white and an eternal, vacant grin stretching across his face. The Joker laughed.

Batgirl's lifeless body fallen on a car hood, blood trickling out of her mouth. Bane grinning at him.

Superman, a shard of Kryptonite poking out his chest.

Zatanna.

Selina Kyle.

Talia Al Ghul.

Leslie Thompkins.

Jim Gordon.

_Diana_.

There were so many more. And every punch he threw gave him more rage, and yet hopelessness when he turned around and another person he cared for fell. Why couldn't he save them?

Why couldn't he _ever_ save them?

* * *

**DIANA POV**

She was in her invisible jet on her way to Themyscira when she got the call. Something urgent had come up, said the Flash- but the Question didn't want to talk about it on the line, no matter how many times she reassured him it was secure.

So she turned her jet around and back to the Watchtower; she'd see her mother and sisters another time.

Now she was hurrying into the Monitor Womb. "What is it, Question-" She stopped dead at the sight on the monitor.

The headline screamed, "The Batman Shows True Colours?!" with dark footage of a figure shrouded in black attacking random civilians on the street. People were running every which way to get away from him, but he was ruthless. Strong. Skilled.

The video quality was terrible, but there was no question- it was him.

A reporter appeared on screen. "This is Summer Gleeson, reporting live from Gotham's 42nd Street. The Batman- his status in our city has been controversial- savior, vigilante, criminal- but tonight, he has embarked on an hours long seige on our city and we don't know why. Twenty three people with major injuries from his attacks so far, six in hospital getting treated tonight. And that's only those that have been found. Meanwhile, the criminal element has taken this as a green light to advance illegal activities. All in all, Gotham is not a safe place to be tonight. The question on everyone's minds is, what has happened to the Dark Knight?"

Diana slammed the keyboard, denting it and making sparks fly. "This doesn't make any sense!" She had just seen him mere _hours_ ago and he'd been fine. Better than usual, even.

She hadn't noticed Superman in the room until now; he was really working Batman-like hours because of the threat to Metropolis. Now, his face drawn into a grave expression, arms folded, he said, "We know, Diana. This isn't something he would do."

Flash scratched his chin. "I dunno, guys. There's a reason they call it _bat_shit crazy," he whispered conspiratorially.

Superman scoffed.

Question drew a shaky breath, his voice shaky and each word filled to the brim with his usual paranoia. "It's possible. He's indisputably mentally unstable. Split Personality. OCD. PTSD. Egomania. Anger Management. To name a few. Really, it was only a matter of time before he cracked. Like we all will," he finished darkly, his fingers manically tapping at the keyboard.

Everyone else in the room stared at him for a moment and then returned to the discussion.

"This is like what happened to you," Superman said to Diana.

She stopped- it was, it truly was. Was Ra's Al Ghul returned then, cruelly turning Batman's plans against him more literally than before? Or was this someone else who had been inspired by the attack on herself?

Either way, they had to help him. She voiced that sentiment.

The Flash scratched his head. "But Bats doesn't like us interfering. Ever. He's made that pretty clear," he pointed out.

In the past, it was true that many crises had arisen in Gotham that had come to the League's attention. Sometimes Batman was in danger. Sometimes the city was in peril. But Batman had always pulled through and done it himself, somehow.

But _this_ time...

"We don't have to do anything publicly in the city," Superman justified. "We find him, we snap him out of the nano tech or whatever is going on this time. We leave. No fanfare. No one even knows that we're there."

Flash piped up again. "Yeah, but how are you going to find him? I thought he doesn't like being found."

"I think if he's sloppy enough to let local news catch sight of him, for us it shouldn't be a problem, Wally," Diana reassured, folding her arms. "Now Kal, let's not waste any more time than we already have!"

* * *

Flash had opted, on second thought, to stay in the Watchtower rather than go with them to confront an agitated, possibly murderous Dark Knight.

But as it turned out, by the time they made it to a very wet and windy Gotham, Batman was no longer on the news.

"And as suddenly as he appeared, he was gone again," the reporter had said on the javelin's TV screen. "And we are still left with so many questions and so few answers."

Now on the ground, shrouded by the darkness of Gotham's alleyways, Superman wondered, "How can we find him now? Under normal circumstances, I could fly above the city and scan for him, but if we're trying to keep a low profile..."

"Did he wander off or did someone take him?" Diana added, worry growing in her stomach.

"I find it hard to believe someone would be able to take him while he was like that, to be honest," Superman grumbled wryly.

Diana had an idea. "We could call Alfred," she suggested. "If he has any ideas."

And so they did, using their communicators.

The phone rang seven times. Finally, it got picked up. "Wayne Manor," answered the familiar voice of the butler. His tone was largely calm and formal as always, but there was a very subtle undercurrent of tension.

"Alfred, it's me, Diana," Diana said.

"Yes, I know," replied Alfred matter-of-factly. "How wonderful to hear your voice again, Miss Prince."

Diana ignored Superman mouthing 'Ms Prince?" and asked, "Have you all seen the news?"

There was a pause. When he spoke again, his voice was decidedly strained. "_I_ have. However, Master Timothy is with Dr. Thompkins at her clinic this evening, which is probably for the best."

Superman spoke. "He's disappeared, they say, Alfred. We're trying to find him; we have some ideas what might be wrong with him. He's not in control of himself right now."

"Well, that is a relief," said the butler. "I was afraid I was going to have to give the Master a severe talking-to when he got home."

Diana smiled at Alfred's attempt at humour in what was clearly a stressful situation for him. "Alfred," she said softly. "Assuming he hasn't been... taken, where would he go? If he was moving... maybe on instinct? On anger?" She had nothing to go on, just hoping her assumptions might be correct. She prayed her current terrible deductive skills wouldn't have a grave cost.

"I can't say I know what's always going on in that man's head," Alfred said with a touch of wryness, "but... there is one place, on the streets of Gotham... to which at some point or another, he always returns..."

* * *

"This is the place, isn't it," Diana said in hushed tones as they touched down on the ground, amidst the trash and puddles in the narrow street. "Where..."

"Yes," confirmed Superman.

She looked around. The abandoned, unkempt narrow street was nothing special. No, less than that. It reeked of criminal activity. The random clutter on the sidewalk, the unidentifiable stains on the concrete, the questionable graffiti adorning the walls. A little street sign nearby, lopsided on the pole, read 'Park Row', but someone had graffitied over it with the words 'Crime Alley'.

"He mentioned an alleyway, once," Supeman muttered, for some reason also finding himself speaking in a whisper even though no one was around. Something about the place was eerie... made it _more_ than just a place. It was almost- almost a _holy_ site. A terrible, terrible holy site, where a legend was born. At a great cost.

Diana followed Superman's slow walk as he scanned the area with his X-Ray vision. Then he snapped into action. "Found him!"

A dark figure was huddled just around the corner away from the broken streetlights, almost hidden by a garbage can. One gloved hand supported himself against the mossy wall, the other clutching some wound under his cape as he struggled to keep on his feet. His face was shrouded in shadows.

"Batman?" called Superman uncertainly as they slowly approached. Then, to her: "He's not aggressive like we thought. What's going on?"

Batman's head jerked in their direction, then back. She suddenly noticed he was... saying something.

As they drew closer, she could hear what he was wildly muttering to himself. "No... don't hurt them... it's too late... can't.. won't... lose you... Please don't..." Her heart broke at the pain and fear in his voice. There was definitely something different happening to him- this was no nano tech.

"Bruce," Diana said softly, reaching out a hand.

"Don't!" he suddenly shouted, clutching his head with both hands and falling to his knees.

Diana placed a soothing hand on his shoulder. She pressed the button on his belt that deactivated the suit's safety mechanism (he'd let her see him do it once, which said something) and, lifting his cowl just a bit, checked his ear just in case. Nano tech could definitely be scratched off the list. Superman crouched and said to her in a low voice, "His internal system's not looking good, Diana. Internal bleeding, fractures, infection... a stab wound..."

Diana bit her lip and sighed. "Bruce, it's me. It's us. Diana and Kal. We're here to take you home."

His white lensed eyes were wide and unseeing. "Diana?" he muttered, disbelieving. "You... noticed I was gone?"

She half-laughed even though she felt like crying. "Of course we noticed you were gone. _Everyone_ noticed you were gone."

"Why do you think we're here?" Superman added.

"Don't!" Batman shouted again, making them jump. "Don't... leave me..."

"We're never going to leave you," Diana reassured, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Leave me," he said suddenly. "Find a better life... I can't lose someone... I..."

"Make up your mind, you idiot," said Superman, putting his other arm around his shoulder. "We're not leaving you no matter how much you try to push us away."

Diana gave him a look and he shrugged. "I might as well get in what I want to say now, while he can't pull out the Kryptonite."

As they walked out of the cramped alleyway, Batman's feet dragging on the pavement as they went, Diana said to Superman, "These symptoms seem similar to the description of fear toxin in the database, but it doesn't make any sense with what he was doing earlier. I wonder what happened to him?"

"He's not really in the condition to tell us, is he?" Superman replied, scanning ahead for anyone who might come nearby. "Not that he will. I'm sure later he'll just say it was routine business..."

**A/N: Okay so guys since September is starting, I'm going to likely be SUPER busy from here on out. I probably won't be able to update so frequently as I've been doing since I started this story... but I will NOT abandon it and leave y'all hanging. There's really not too much left to tell and I am going to finish it, ASAP. This _could_ mean nothing- there could be a few days between chapters like always- or it could be that there might be a month between chapters. I really don't know yet what it's going to be like for me. But I promise I'm going to do my best to wrap this all up quickly! And I will still check in and respond to PMs etc. :D**

**Thanks to all who have kept reading and reviewing, you truly encourage me so much :) Let me know what you think of this chapter!**


	35. Chapter 35

Diana and Superman waited in Wayne Manor's huge, intimidating sitting room. It was a cold space; it didn't feel very lived in at all. Like the mock-living rooms in a furniture store, it was all props and rarely used. Alfred had taken Bruce and disappeared off into the depths of the house and they were waiting for him to report something. Anything.

"Gotham's in chaos," Superman muttered, his eyes on the muted TV in front of them. "The criminals here are jumping all over this. They're the worst kind, Diana. No sense of honor. No moral code."

Diana bit her lip. "We can't leave his city like this. He'll never forgive himself if something terrible happens because of him. The city needs to be guarded."

"How?" Superman grumbled. "Have you forgotten his 'no-meta' policy?"

Diana sat back and frowned a moment. She respected Bruce's wishes but she could not leave the people here to fend for themselves, either. "No metas," she agreed firmly. "But we have plenty of non-metas we can contact. Green Arrow, for instance. And Black Canary and Huntress used to operate out of Gotham- I don't think he would mind them here."

Superman mulled it over, then nodded. "You're right. I'll call them."

After that, all Diana could hear was the incessant ticking of the grandfather clock and Superman's fingers restlessly tapping the black leather armrest. His eyes were far away and Diana knew exactly why. He wanted to be in Metropolis, helping the other League members track down the criminals that were putting Metropolis under seige tonight. But he cared too much about his friend to leave just yet.

"Kal," she said gently; her voice echoed around the room, which was lit only by the dim light of the slow rising sun from the window.

His sky blue eyes turned to her face expectantly.

She placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Go. I'll make sure Bruce is okay."

A smile bloomed on his features, and a sense of relief clouded his voice when he replied, "Thank you, Diana." One rush of wind and a swinging door later, she was alone in the room.

Without her close friend's presence acting as a balm, she found herself itching to do something- find Bruce or Alfred or Tim- just so she wasn't stuck sitting here with her thoughts. She stood, crossing her arms and wandered out of the room.

The Manor was huge- she didn't recognize the way she'd come- so instead she wandered. All the furniture in the house was impeccably polished and cared for, but somehow Diana got the impression that if it weren't for Alfred's care, most of it would be covered in a thick layer of dust. It was a shame- the house was a grand place, and the echoes of the warm home it might have been- once was- were still present.

Lost in thought, she pushed open a heavy door and found herself in a study. A large desk stood in front of her, but it was what was behind it on the wall that captured her interest the most.

It was a large painted portrait of a smiling couple. The woman was lovely, with kind blue eyes and a beautiful string of pearls around her throat; the man had brown eyes, a gentle curve to his mouth and the same handsome features as Bruce.

"His parents," said a voice from the doorway as she came to the same conclusion.

She turned around; Tim stood illuminated by the light in the doorway, hands stuffed in his pockets. His eyes were more guarded than she'd ever seen. It broke her heart that he'd gone through the things that he had.

She walked a few steps closer and gave a small bow. "I never properly introduced myself- I am Diana of Themyscira-"

"I know," he interrupted, face unreadable just like his father. "You healed me... Dick told me. Thank you. _And_ you're Bruce's new girlfriend."

She felt a small smile spread over her lips at the labelling of them as a couple. Well, it was true now. "I suppose." She gestured towards the portrait. "These are the Waynes?"

"Yup," said Tim, walking a little further into the room and pointing. "That's the old man's old man." He chuckled a bit, but the sound soured after a moment. "And his mom."

Diana frowned. "Why do you call him 'old man'?"

"It's an expression," Tim explained. "Like... an affectionate term for dad." He seemed to realize what he said and backtracked. "Not that Bruce is my dad, not really..."

Diana understood. "But he's all you have."

Tim sighed. "Yeah. My real dad was kind of a deadbeat," he admitted quietly, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I'm not Dick, I don't have a great family to remember. Bruce... he acts like a jerk most of the time, but he... I've realized that he _is_ a dad to me."

Diana smiled sadly at the boy. Bruce just never realized the positive light he shed on his boys' lives.

"So it makes me mad," Tim continued, staring straight ahead at the portrait, his tone growing decidedly angry, "When he refuses to let us help him. And then he goes out there by himself and nearly gets himself _killed_."

Diana sighed. "It's a parental instinct, Tim."

"Why doesn't he get it?" Tim wondered, eyes stormy as the sea. But his voice grew bleak. "Why doesn't he get that we'd all be lost without him?"

Diana understood what he meant. It was a sentiment she shared, especially when she saw Batman take a bullet for someone a hundred times stronger than him. "I'm not saying I agree with his actions," she replied, putting a bracing hand on his shoulder. Remembering Bruce's pseudo-suicidal ramblings the night of the Joker fiasco. "But he stops you from joining him for a reason. Bruce would be lost without _you_, too."

Tim stared down at the floor, looking utterly lost himself. A small cough sounded from the doorway.

"Miss Prince, I cannot thank you enough for bringing Master Bruce home. He's settled now. I'm sure you have many duties to attend to-"

"Of course, Alfred," she said gently. "But I can't leave without seeing him safely in one piece first." The butler's eyes warmed and communicated a thousand smiles. And she followed Alfred away, tactfully pretending she hadn't noticed the wetness in Tim's eyes as she left.

* * *

By now, it was mid-morning, and in the light she saw that Bruce's bedroom was much too large for any one person. She almost rolled her eyes at the extravagance.

Bruce appeared to be sleeping fitfully in the corner of a large bed. His eyes seemed to be darting back and forth under the eyelids and his eyebrows were scrunched together; his jaw was tightly clenched and his whole body seemed to shudder.

"He doesn't look very settled, Alfred," Diana said with concern, reaching out a hand to stroke his jaw. The tension in it seemed to lessen somewhat at the touch.

"This is as settled as the Master _ever_ gets, Miss Prince," Alfred replied. "He will be fine. I'm sure you have other matters to attend to."

She pushed some of his hair out of his face and wished she could do something more to stop his hurt. "Are you sure, Alfred? What if he starts attacking again?"

"Miss Prince, I assure you he won't," Alfred said calmly, "he's under with some, ah, _strong_ sedatives for the time being. There's no need to worry."

Diana straightened from her position at Bruce's side. "Will you tell him to call when he awakens?"

Alfred bowed. "It would be my genuine pleasure."

Diana smiled at the butler's theatrics as she left. She'd never met a man quite like this one before.

**BRUCE POV**

He awoke with a gasp wrenched from his soul.

He was staring at the ceiling of his bedroom. A place in which he didn't spend a lot of time, granted; but he still recognized the pattern on the ceiling.

"Splendid, you're up."

The sound of his butler jarred him into remembrance. "Alfred," he said, his voice rough like he'd been screaming as he threw the covers off and swung his legs to the side of the bed, "we have to-"

"_You_ have to do nothing but drink plenty of fluids and call a _very_ concerned Miss Prince, Master Bruce," said Alfred pointedly from the bedside. Impeccable as always, holding a tray with a steaming bowl on it. "You took quite a beating last night. You slept through the entire day."

"The _entire day_?" Bruce repeated with horror. He looked out the window; the sky was alight with the splashes of colour from the sun lowering over the horizon. This left virtually no time at all before Ra's attack.

"Well," Alfred amended. "Not exactly sleeping for most of it. You were in a feverish haze. I tried to treat you with our typical fear toxin antidote but it didn't seem to work well. Your body eventually fought it off on its own, I suppose."

Bruce was now dimly aware of his undershirt sticking to his body and the sweat plastered to his forehead. He paid it no heed, standing up on wobbly legs. He hid it well but knew the wily old man saw it anyway. "That's because it _wasn't_ typical fear toxin. It's stronger. It's..." He trailed off, having no words to describe the absolute horror that he remembered all too vividly. "...Chaos."

Something in Alfred's eyes flickered at the slight shudder in Bruce's voice.

"That's also how I would describe all the news channels last night."

Bruce turned and saw Tim leaning against the doorway, arms folded, with an unreadable expression on his face.

Bruce sighed, running a hand over his tired eyes. "How bad is it?" When he got no reply from either, Bruce grabbed the remote and turned on the widescreen TV in front of him.

The headline screamed at him: BATMAN: IS HE THE DARK KNIGHT OR A DARK NIGHT FOR GOTHAM? Above the tickertape, rebroadcasted footage showed dozens of reporters shouting questions at Jim Gordon as he left his office. Only at one moment did the white-haired man stop and thunder, "No comment!" before getting in his vehicle.

The TV clicked off; Alfred had pressed the power button manually. Bruce was rooted to the spot for a moment in turmoil. His eyes closed of their own accord as his failure fell heavily onto his shoulders. Another terrible, terrible mistake. And it was all his doing- all his fault.

"There's no _time_ for rest," Bruce concluded finally, pulling on his robe and pushing what he had just seen to the back of his mind to deal with later. "Ra's Al Ghul is going to infect the whole city with a powerful fear toxin in hours. He's trying to destroy... everything." That Bruce cared about.

The butler's calm, bored expression didn't change. He had grown accustomed to the apocalyptic nature of his Master's work. "Then go on, sir, but for heaven's sake have some chicken soup before it gets cold."

Absentmindedly taking the bowl of soup, he found his way to the Batcave's computer. He was dimly aware of Alfred following; Tim hadn't. The boy was still angry at him. Well, better angry than dead.

"Call Commissioner Gordon," he commanded the computer while drinking a spoonful of the broth. Huh, it was actually so much more delicious hot. Who knew.

The phone rang a few times. Then, the Commissioner's voice, demanding: "Who is this?"

"Listen closely," Bruce answered in his Batman voice while stirring his soup, ignoring the question. "You need to ready the GCPD for a mass fear toxin attack on Gotham. The old antidote won't work on this strain. Hand out gas masks to whoever you can while I try to find out more-"

"Why should I listen to you?" Gordon cut him off. "After what you pulled last night! Thirty-six innocents in hospital!" His voice took on a tinge of desperation. "_Tell_ me it wasn't you, Batman."

Bruce sat in silence a moment, trying his best to keep a tight rein on his emotions, then replied, "I'm sorry, Commissioner. I was... compromised by the toxin itself. And that was just a taste of what's going to be unleashed in the city tonight."

The Commissioner exhaled. "God help us all. Is there _anything_ we can do?"

"I have a sample of the toxin," Bruce replied, referring to the sample he had stolen in the lab before Ra's had gotten the jump on him. "An antidote might be able to be synthesized. But it would have to be fast. Get Star Labs in the city on it right away and we might be able to save the situation."

There was a brief pause on the end of the line. "Why not WayneTech? They're frontrunners in technology and whatnot..."

"The information will be sent to Star Labs," Bruce said firmly. He wasn't about to elaborate on the situation that his own company had been compromised. He then switched off the mic and turned to Alfred. "I need you on this, too," he said, and the butler nodded. "Compare with our previous antidotes and do scans for all possible analytes in the new toxin." He paused. "If Tim wants, he should help too. We need this done as quickly as possible."

Bruce got up heavily from the chair. Alfred eyed him as he limped slightly over to the glass where the cowl lurked behind.

"And you, sir?"

Bruce grabbed the cowl off the hook. "I'm going to end this."

A/N:** Yes I am ALIIIIVE! The semester is over and while I still have one exam left, I've been veryyy slowly working on this chapter over the last few weeks.. so I figured I would post it now, because I've left you guys hanging for three months. Please leave a review!**


	36. Chapter 36

**DIANA POV**

Diana was flying at full speed through the Gotham sunset above Wayne Tower when she heard a cry from below.

She looked down and, with her enhanced vision, saw a purse-clutching woman encircled by four men in the alley behind the Biscuits and Tea restaurants Bruce had brought her to.

On autopilot, she changed direction and headed down, tuning into the conversation below.

"No, no, no please I'm begging you," the woman cried. "I can't give you this money. I can barely support my daughter. _Please_!"

One of the men, wearing a red hoodie, casually flicked a pocket knife out of his pocket. "Aw, that's really too bad," he cooed as he put his other hand on the shuddering woman's shoulder. "But maybe we can make a _different_ arrangement, eh, fellas?" His tone made Diana's skin crawl.

"I agree," Diana boomed from above. All the men looked up to see the Amazon warrior floating above them. If the slackening jaws and terrified faces were any indication, Diana's anger was quite apparent on her face.

Diana didn't leave any more room for words; she dove in with a battle cry. The men scattered. Diana grabbed the one that had touched the woman by the arm and swung him into the next one running towards her. They both fell with heavy grunts. The last one that had the courage to try to fight her was running at her from behind. Diana waited until he was almost upon her, then bent her knees and ducked, grabbing his arm and throwing him over her shoulder. He sailed across the alley for several feet before he crashed into the dumpster.

Diana looked around for the last one, and spotted him running as fast as he could from the scene. Diana was impressed; at least one of them had enough intelligence to override their testosterone and acknowledge they could not defeat her.

She had only taken a single step in that direction, unwinding her lasso as she went, when another shadow leaped out in front of the man and front-kicked him in the stomach hard enough for him to stumble and fall.

Diana squinted in the gloom in order to see who it was that had stopped the would-be mugger. The figure was clad in black leather and wore high heel boots, red painted lips, and goggles perched on her head that looked almost like ears...

"Selina Kyle," Diana mused aloud.

"Bingo," called Catwoman's sultry voice as she backhanded the man across the face when he started stirring.

Satisfied that the immediate threat was gone, Diana turned back to the victim, who hadn't moved from where she stood. "These men will be made to pay for their crimes. Go home, my sister," she gently prodded, putting a hand on the shaking woman's shoulder. "Would you like me to escort you?"

"N-no," stammered the woman, still clutching her purse in a death grip. "It's just around the corner. Thank you." She turned and tottered off.

Diana watched the woman leave; a tinkling laugh filled the void behind her, so, unable to avoid it, Diana finally turned back around.

Catwoman straightened, a saucy hand placed on her hip. "I've been watching you fight. You got _moves_, Wonder Woman."

Diana offhandedly began wrapping her lasso around her hand. "Call me Diana. Shouldn't you be in jail?"

Catwoman pouted. "I just saved your life. Cut me a break." She slowly approached, and Diana had to admire the easy, sensual confidence with which this woman walked. It was not a demeanor that she had seen many women in Man's World have, and she suddenly felt a certain admiration for the woman in front of her.

"That's a bit of an overstatement," Diana huffed with a small smile, "but thank you anyway. I'll let you go just this once, Sister. But if I see you again, I won't hesitate to hand you over."

Catwoman merely smiled at the warning. "You're tough as nails, Wondy." There was a touch of respect in the other woman's voice that for some reason surprised Diana. "I can see why Bruce likes you."

Diana, who had made to fly off, gave a little start at that. She racked her memory quickly. Did Catwoman know his identity?

Her question was answered at Selina Kyle's next words. "He's a bit of a softy himself; he's my friend, you know. He doesn't act like the brightest crayon in the box sometimes but he's a sweetheart. Treat him right." Her voice held a small warning. Diana could see that she cared for Bruce, but almost laughed at the words. It didn't help when Catwoman added in lighter tones, "But don't you dare go after Batman just because he's in your little league of superheroes. He's mine."

Diana couldn't keep herself from grinning. "You can keep him, if he'll have you." She didn't wait to see how Selina reacted to that before she took off.

She was several feet into the air when she heard a resounding crash from below and a yelp. Turning, Diana saw that Selina's body was slung across the dumpster on the other end of the street. She looked to be unconscious.

Heart leaping, Diana landed and ran towards the other woman without thinking about anything else. "Selina!" she shouted. Catwoman's forehead was bleeding; a trickle of blood fell down the slope of her pale cheek. Frantically, Diana picked up the other woman's limp hand and felt her pulse. Still there. What had just happened? Diana turned around, scanning the street, but saw too little, too late.

_Wham_! A strong hand came out of nowhere and backhanded her across the face. Diana's head whipped back. It was a crazy strong blow. She turned instantly to face her attacker, falling into a defensive stance.

Talia Al Ghul stood in front of her, wearing all black and hands on hips. A small smirk played on her face.

Surprise slackened Diana's stance, giving Talia another opportunity to hit her in the stomach.

Pulling herself back up, Diana blocked the next kick swung at her head. Talia was surprisingly strong. "I thought you were dead," Diana gasped.

Talia paused in her attack to smile wickedly. "Famous last words of my father's enemies." And she proceeded to lunge.

Diana was unnerved by how Talia did not seem to want to talk- although Diana did not know her very well, it seemed very unlike her to keep attacking blindly. There was something almost... unbalanced, in the other woman's eyes. Diana didn't know what it was. And how had she gotten so strong? Physically? She was nearly as strong as Diana herself. These questions flew through her mind, but she pushed them aside in favour of her battle instinct.

"Talia-" she grunted, fending off attacks. "Why are you doing this? Stop!"

Diana swung a hook punch at the other woman, but Talia caught it, and, crushing her wrist in her hand, produced a syringe with the other. Before a very shaken Diana could do more than widen her eyes, Talia had plunged it into her neck.

"Never," Talia hissed.

Diana's lids felt very, very heavy all of a sudden. Talia let go of her, a satisfied look on her face.

Perhaps she didn't anticipate Diana's strength; she grabbed Talia by the neck, startling her. "What did you _do_ to me?" Diana seethed, even as her vision wavered and she staggered on her feet.

She got no answer. Even her grip on Talia's throat slackened, and the world went black.

* * *

**SUPERMAN POV**

Superman stood, arms folded, on the Daily Planet's roof with The Question madly pacing beside him. It was getting a little irritating, but Superman would never actually say that to him.

"Any news?" he said into his comm link.

"Negative," reported Shayera with a sigh. "I'm tailing this shipment truck like you said, but it really doesn't seem like anything is going down... we'll check it out though."

Superman ground his teeth together. The frustration was building in him, and the more hours passed, the less sure he was that he really and truly knew what was going on. He felt like he was being played somehow, but for the life of him couldn't figure out why.

For an odd beat of a moment, he missed Batman's uncanny instinct in times like this.

He pressed his comm to link with someone else. "And Gotham? Are you patrolling?"

"Yup. Things have been nuts," sighed Green Arrow. "But I think we've got a handle on things now. How crazy exactly did Bats get for this to happen?"

The question seemed more of a rhetorical question but Superman couldn't help the twinge of worry in his chest. He pushed it aside for now. Diana had assured him she would make sure he was okay. He could focus on this right now.

"Hawkgirl to Superman," Shayera interrupted his thoughts.

He snapped back into the present and leaned forward subconsciously. "What do you have for me, Hawkgirl?"

The frustration was evident in her voice as she said, "Absolutely nothing. This truck has nothing inside but stuffed animals and the driver doesn't seem to have any idea what we're talking about. I even threatened him with my mace and he's still not talking. This is ridiculous. Why are we chasing toys around Metropolis? Who even _carries_ a truck full of stuffed animals?"

In the distance, Superman heard Supergirl say, "To be fair, this _is_ a Toys R Us truck."

"Never mind that," Superman said impatiently. "Do we have any other leads?"

"Not really," Shayera admitted. "But Superman... we'll solve this. We're not going to let your city burn." Her voice took on a softer tone as she said those words.

Superman sighed. "Thanks, Hawgirl. Superman out." He tapped his comm and turned to Question, who was still lurking quietly beside him. "I don't _understand_. What is going on?" he wondered aloud.

Question, who hadn't said a word until now, paused in his pacing to turn his blank face in Superman's direction and quietly said, "Maybe, nothing..."

**A/N: Okayy wow it took me a long time to get this up because of some stuff happening in my life at the moment, and I'm still not happy with it! Fail on my part. Next chapter will be very fun for all the characters... haha not. I'll try and make that one longer and post it faster. R &amp; R... you are all much appreciated by me... and on that note Merry Christmas, and if you don't celebrate, happy holidays!**


	37. Chapter 37

**BRUCE POV**

"Master Bruce, someone at the door for you," called Alfred from up the stairs.

"Now's not the time, Alfred," Bruce snarled from where he currently was stocking his utility belt.

A pause. Then: "It's Miss Kyle to see you, sir."

Bruce's hands barely slowed. "Tell her Bruce is out drinking."

"Sir!"

His tone made Bruce look up, finally, from his task. The butler stood at the top of the stairs, and his face was taugt in a tense expression. "She says it's _very_ urgent she see you, sir. She did not sound like she was playing any games."

Bruce huffed and put down his utility belt. "All _right_."

Five minutes later, a barefoot Bruce with scruffy hair, a white tank top, and not a care in the world slinked into the hall, hands tucked in the pockets of his sweatpants. "Selina," he said in a light tone. "How nice to see you. Aren't you, ah, supposed to be-"

Selina cut him off brusquely. "In jail, I know." She crossed her arms over her chest. Alfred had let her inside the house; her hair was tucked into a newsboy cap and she wore a gray coat over what appeared to be her _work clothes_.

Bruce's eyes travelled over her outfit, noting the rips and scuff marks on her. He allowed the slightest warning to enter his tone as he leaned against the wall. "You've robbed three places in as many weeks. I could call the police right now."

Selina sighed, rolling her eyes at the high ceiling. "I could knock you _out_ right now, but I didn't come here for that." Just try, thought Bruce. Selina continued. "Just listen, okay? This is important. Your girlfriend is in trouble."

Bruce pushed off the wall so fast he almost toppled over the umbrella stand next to him. His cool demeanor was gone suddenly, and he stood in front of Selina with his fists clenched. "What?" He swallowed. "...Diana? Wonder Woman?"

Selina eyed him. "You really like her, don't you? I'm impressed. But yes. I sort of ran into her in the city tonight. It's a long story." She waved her hand dismissively. "But we were attacked by someone. I don't know... some chick? I got knocked out, but when I woke up, I saw her leave with Wondypants over her shoulder." She paused, allowing him a moment to digest the news. "I didn't know who else to tell, and Batman isn't usually out at this time." She pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders. "Bruce, are you okay?"

The concern in her voice made him look up from where he had been staring intensely at the floor, putting pieces together. "I..." He drew in a breath and said in an authoritative voice, "Some of your injuries look bad, Selina. Would you like me to have Alfred patch you up? I promise I won't call the police." His heart was thundering in his ears as he spoke, as he planned away.

"No," Selina waved away the suggestion. She was already turning back towards the door. "I'm just going to go now. I hope you find her. Unlike certain _other_ heroes around here, she doesn't have a stick up her ass..."

"Yes," Bruce agreed absentmindedly. He felt like he was having this conversation from miles away.

As Selina opened the door and stepped outside, Bruce's hand snapped out and grabbed her elbow. She turned.

"Thank you, Selina," he said softly.

She offered him a smile in return. "Anything for a friend, Bruce." She gently tugged her arm away and disappeared into the evening.

As soon as the door closed, he snapped into action, running full speed back to the grandfather clock entrance to the Batcave.

"What is the plan now, sir?" called Alfred form where he was catching up behind him.

He barely slowed. "It was Talia, Alfred, it's the only explanation. Talia's got Diana. But I have to save the city."

"And what about Miss Prince?" the butler's voice was sharp behind him.

Bruce turned around suddenly, startling his butler who nearly ran into him; Bruce steadied him. "Then I have to save her too," he replied angrily. "Are you satisfied, Alfred?" He started to yank on his armor.

The butler huffed.

But Bruce certainly wasn't satisfied. What was it she'd said? He recalled it, whispered sweetly to him like in some cheesy movie about a life that wasn't his- _I'll never make you choose_, she'd reassured.

But here they were. They had arrived at the moment that Bruce had ignorantly hoped would never be. He was telling Alfred he could do both, but the time crunch was too great. The cold, analytic part of his mind was telling the unavoidable truth.

He had to choose.

Between his mission, his life, his promise to his parents, his entire reason for existing-

And _this_ _woman_.

He had to choose.

"No, you don't," Alfred spoke from the darkness, and with a start Bruce realized he had spoken aloud.

"How, Alfred?" he asked, speaking to the wall he stood in front of in the Batcave. His voice sounded incredibly bleak.

"I don't know how," his butler quietly admitted. "But I do know this. You are not alone, and you never have been. There are times when we all need help. The bravest thing you can do is accept it."

Bruce stared at the wall a moment longer before turning around at Alfred's pause.

Alfred held the phone in his hand and a beseeching look was in his eyes. "Please, sir."

Bruce squeezed his eyes tightly shut at those words for a split second. And he made his decision.

* * *

**DIANA POV**

Diana came to slowly. She kept her eyes closed for as long as she could, trying to understand what had happened. From behind closed eyelids she could tell it was dark; she was held upright, tied to something sturdy... a pillar, perhaps? She listened hard... she couldn't hear talking, scuffling of shoes, anything... she appeared to be alone. She opened her eyes just a hair.

Talia Al Ghul stood a foot in front of her. Diana tried not to be startled, but Talia sensed she was awake.

"Hello, Amazon."

Diana opened her eyes fully. It was a dark, expansive space, but there wasn't much else she could tell about where she was being held. She glared at the other woman. Talia, still dressed in sleek black with her hair styled into a bun, looked quite put together.

But her darting eyes told a different story.

"You're alive," Diana said slowly. And if _she_ was, then her father was not likely too far behind.

"Yes," Talia answered offhandedly, still doing nothing but staring. A smirk ticked her mouth up. "And stronger than you, I'm delighted to say."

"We'll see about that," Diana replied tersely, tugging at her restraints. When they had no give, she looked down to see she was tied up with her own lasso.

Diana sighed and looked back up. "What do you want, Talia?" she asked carefully. "Why did you attack me?"

Talia seemed only too willing to talk. "After the magic of the relic did its work on my father and I, my father only grew more obsessed with the idea of destroying Batman." She leaned in close, so Diana could see her dilated pupils, and feel her erratic breath on her neck. "And... it is starting to appeal to me."

Diana couldn't help the confusion growing on her face. This didn't sound like her, not at all. From the information she'd been given, Talia had never expressed any interested in that particular goal of her father's. Perhaps the magic of the relic that had supposedly resurrected her had some sort of negative effect on her mind. "Talia. I don't think you are well."

Talia continued on as if Diana hadn't spoken, beginning to pace now. "To destroy someone, you must first understand them. My father has already failed in this regard.

"He thinks Batman is like him. He thinks that above all, Batman holds dear his city and his legacy. But he is wrong." Her tone grew slightly reverent. "Batman loves _people_, first and foremost. This city and his legacy mean nothing to him without the people in his life. I have been privy to this, but my father did not want to listen to my advice. He's going to destroy the city, but it won't break Batman."

Diana's heart sped up. Destroy the city? Did Batman know this? "Did you do this to him?" she demanded, straining against her own lasso to no avail. "Did you poison him and leave him in distress on the streets of Gotham?"

Talia's smile widened. "Oh, no, that was father's idea. A good one, I'll admit. But I can outdo it."

Diana watched the other woman pace warily. "Is this some kind of competition to you?"

Talia threw back her beautiful head and laughed. "Perhaps. But it's all part of the same picture."

"What picture?" hissed Diana, thinking fast. How was she going to get out of this? "Talia, you're not making any sense! Please, stop and think about what you're doing."

"Batman once again destroyed the dream of our organization. My father is right; we have let him get away with it far too long. So I destroy _him_, in the way that my father could not comprehend." She paused, perhaps for dramatic effect.

"By destroying _you_."

**BARBARA POV**

Barbara Gordon was staring blankly at her ceiling while lying on her bed, a pastime that she had recently taken up after having her nightlife come to a sudden end. The TV ran in the background with updates on the supposed 'Batman Gone Wild' story, as Barbara liked to call it, that had her dying with curiosity, but she was far too stubborn to pick up the phone and call to see.

As if summoned, the phone rang.

She picked up the phone, privacy secured by Bruce himself, at her bedside. "Hello?" she muttered without any interest.

"Hello, Miss Gordon," said a brisk English voice. "Your assistance is, ah, required here."

Barbara sat up on her bed. Alfred calling? After all this time? Things must be desperate. "Really." She made her displeasure evident.

"Yes. There is a... situation, I'm afraid."

"_Really_." Alfred had her attention.

"Master Bruce needs your help."

Barbara rolled her eyes. "Did _he_ say that?"

Alfred lost patience and his voice rose in volume with his next words. "It's not just Master Bruce that needs your help. Someone's life- Miss Prince's- is on the line, Miss Gordon, and he can't save her!"

Barbara frowned, disbelieving. Wonder Woman was in trouble? "So he doesn't want me around until suddenly he realizes he needs help, and _now_ comes begging at my feet?"

The butler's voice was tired. "Not exactly." He cleared his throat. "He can't do it all, Miss Gordon. I asked him to seek your help, but he's far too stubborn, he just left. He says he can do it all on his own. But he can't. And if he fails to save this city because he's going to save her, he'll never forgive himself."

"Maybe he _should_ suffer. He rejected my help before and disrespected my decisions," pondered Barbara. "Why should I do this for him now?"

There was a long, tired pause.

"It's not for him, Miss Gordon. It's for me, an old man who can't bare to live with his son destroyed. It's for Miss Prince, a woman that the world truly needs. It's for this city, the place you live in."

Barbara hesitantly looked out the window as Alfred spoke quietly now. "You are a hero, Miss Gordon, and you know what the right thing is to do. You don't need Master Bruce to tell you that. And you never have."

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Batman growled. He hadn't given the slightest indication that he knew she was there; not a twitch, a shift, nothing. It was typical behavior. "I told you to stay out of this."

Batgirl shifted from foot to foot, watching her ex-mentor looking for clues in a secluded alleyway by the Biscuits &amp; Tea.

"I don't care what you have to say, Batman. I'm not one of your wards; you don't get to tell me what to do anymore." She put her hands on her hips, waiting for his undoubtedly pigheaded response.

There was a pause. Then: "Alfred put you up to this, didn't he."

Batgirl ignored the accusation. "Does it matter? Look. You have a job to do, and you're running out of time. That fear gas is going to be all over the city in an hour. Save Gotham, okay? Leave whatever's left" she nodded to the scene, "up to me."

"It's too dangerous," he snapped. "You don't know what you're up against."

"Then _tell_ me," she said, irritated. "You're just wasting time now." She sighed. "You can trust me. I've got a little experience in saving kidnapped people," she offered a small, bitter smile.

Batman's mouth tightened, and for a moment Tim's haunted laughter echoed faintly in both their heads. And then, he said, "Talia Al Ghul captured her."

Batgirl let out a small sigh of relief that he'd relented quickly. Really it was more of a sign that the situation was extremely serious. She brushed away her questions and asked brusquely, "Okay, anything else you got for me?"

"Talia's strong," he said immediately, nodding to a large dent in the brick wall behind them. "Maybe as strong as Wonder Woman. I suspect heightened senses too. You have to be careful. Avoid confrontation." He paused. "Just... get her out of there." Most people would not be able to detect the small note of desperation in that monotone, but Batgirl picked up on it.

He fiddled with a small device in his gloved hands and resumed his robotic way of speaking. "I tracked Wonder Woman's League comm link. She's being held in a warehouse on the south side of town. Go in, get her out, and leave the mess to me. Got it?" She nodded and turned away, pulling out her grapple.

"Batgirl..."

She turned her head a fraction and raised an eyebrow, waiting.

His face was stone cold and so was his voice. "Be careful."

**A/N: Wow 500+ reviews... I really don't deserve such incredible readers like you guys! Thank you so much! *blows kisses* I was going to leave y'all in suspense by adding Bab's part to the next chapter but I felt bad because I promised a longer chapter this time lol. So here ya go; leave a review! And happy new year's to you all!**


	38. Chapter 38

"What?" Diana laughed despite herself, while thinking very fast. She had to get out of this. _Think_, she scolded herself. _Think like Batman. Use your brain... instead of your braun..._

Talia regarded her seriously. "You laugh, but I think it is because you're afraid I'm right." She drew herself up to full height. "Amazon... I am no fool. Batman loves you. I saw it myself. I saw the way he looked at you. And I knew."

Diana was at a loss. "You... what?"

Talia examined her fingernails.

It suddenly made sense; Bruce had seen Talia at the fair. It was the only explanation that made sense. It clicked into place. "You were... _there_?" Diana said incredulously more to herself, "Just how long have you been in Gotham?"

But Talia was in the mood to talk, not answer questions. "And now he will have to make a choice. Between you, and his city. The two things he loves most." A smile tugged at Talia's lips. "And when he does, we will be ready. He has already lost. But he will try. Oh, he does always try," her voice became fond, as she reached behind her back and pulled out a small dagger. "You are most vulnerable to piercing weapons, yes?..."

No. No. Diana could not let this happen. It would destroy him. Truly, surely, forever destroy him. She couldn't let this happen. She wouldn't. Her hands, tied tightly to the pillar began to twitch and shimmy among her restraints. An idea had sprung in her mind.

But she needed a second to wiggle her hands... not out of her restraints, but around this pillar she was tied to...Diana spoke strongly. "You would do this to your beloved?"

Talia's voice wavered from its manic certainty and she stopped her menacing walk towards Diana. "My... Beloved?"

"Yes," Diana coaxed, feeling slightly like vomitting in her mouth as her hands slid slowly, painfully around the pillar. "Isn't that what you call him?"

"I did," Talia said thoughtfully, twirling her knife expertly in her fingers. Diana let out a small sigh of relief at this reprieve but it was quickly taken away when, with a sudden motion, Talia lunged forward and stabbed Diana in the thigh.

The pain was immediate and intense, and Diana forgot her mission for a moment as she couldn't help but grit her teeth at the agonizing pain. She groaned, throwing her magnificent head back and squeezing her eyes shut.

"But he didn't think of me the same way, did he?" Talia snarled. "Stop trying to change my mind. This isn't about me. This is about revenge." As Diana panted, Talia took a step closer. "Do you know how my father and I could have saved this planet? It's too late for it to be saved now. Are you all _happy_?" she hissed in Diana's face.

"Not... at the moment," Diana managed to gasp.

Talia, with a casual smile on her face, stabbed Diana in the side. After watching Diana huff for a few seconds she sighed. "You know, this is less interesting than I thought it would be." She shook her head. "Perhaps it's best just to kill you now. I'm sure even you can't withstand being beheaded." Talia drew her knife back.

Diana squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Her hands were now planted on opposite sides of the beam she was tied to. As the knife came flashing down, she squeezed with all her might.

_Hera, give me strength_!

The pillar she was tied to exploded beneath the sheer power of her Amazonian strength. With nothing left to tie her to, her lasso restraint essentially became useless, and fell loosely down Diana's body until it hit the ground. She stopped the dagger just as it grazed her throat.

Looking up through her mussed hair, Diana saw Talia's eyes widen.

Still holding the dagger's hilt, Diana pushed back on it, causing the other woman to be thrown back several feet. The Amazonian stood shakily on two legs, ignoring the blood coursing steadily from her wounds down her side and dripping onto the tiled floor. All she saw was a haze of red anyway.

She stepped out of her lasso and flew out at Talia, who was currently in the process of getting up.

Talia made an "oomph" sound as Diana's head collided with her stomach and she flew her into the wall. Snarling in rage, Diana held her in place by the shoulder and elbowed her brutally in the gut.

Despite all this, Talia raised her head and laughed. "You're pathetic, Amazon. You think killing me will stop this?" Talia swung her leg around and hooked it behind Diana's head, kicking her entire body down. Diana fell to the floor, her reflexes weakened by her injuries.

"A minute ago you made it sound like killing _me_ was the only way 'this' would happen," Diana growled. She swept her foot out, intending to trip up the other woman, but Talia was ready for it, and easily hopped over Diana's leg. Diana earned a stiff foot to her gut- dangerously close to her wound- for her trouble.

Before the pain had a chance to explode and make her see stars she grabbed Talia's offending foot and swung her down into the floor with her strength. Talia grunted, having made a dent in the floor. Any normal human would be in need of critical care at this point, but Diana knew Talia could take it. And a small savage part of her was glad. Talia dared? Talia dared try to harm the people she cared about? Her pain dulled into the background.

Diana hauled Talia up by her shirt until the two were face to face. Her righteous fury easily made Talia's face falter.

And suddenly Diana was struck by a long note of sympathy at the woman's brown eyes so close to hers. They told a story of desperation, madness, loneliness that she could never utter aloud. And Diana understood; suddenly, she understood.

"I," the Amazon whispered into Talia's face, "am sorry I have to do this." And with one, solid headbutt, the daughter of Al Ghul was unconscious, her head rolling on her shoulders.

Diana stood in the darkness of the warehouse for a few beats, finally feeling sympathy for this woman. Used, abused, cast aside all her life even though she showed nothing but adoration and devotion to those she loved. And all though she knew Batman hadn't meant to perpetuate that, perhaps that was how Talia saw it now. Talia was a strong woman who placed her faith in people, and then followed them to the ends of the earth and beyond.

And now here she was, brought to insanity and broken in Diana's arms because of her honorable traits. A strong woman like Talia should never have had to suffer, and most especially not at the hands of men.

Diana sighed and gently set Talia's body down to the floor. "Find peace, sister," she murmured.

At that moment, there was a creaking sound, that telltale of a door being opened, and a light flooded into the dark room. Diana turned to see an astonished looking Batgirl in full costume at the entrance. The two women stared at each other, the younger one taking in the scene with wide blue eyes.

"Wow... Am I ever late to the party..." Batgirl said finally.

**A/N: I love Barbara! And I love Diana. I don't like how New52 portrays her, more often than not, as this war machine who just likes to punch stuff. In my opinion Diana's strongest asset is her compassion, not her fists, and I tried to show that here. You may not agree with Diana's sympathy for Talia. I'm not even sure _I_ do. But I think, as an optimist, she tries to see the best in people before beating the crap out of them- or, in this case, after :P**

**Oh and one more thing- school has started again, but I've decided to keep going with the story. I lost my groove when I stopped writing this story for three months last year, and I don't want that happening again so I'm going to forge ahead and finish this off soon. Reviews are very appreciated! Thanks for reading!**


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: Hello friends. I haven't updated in WEEKS, and I am so sorry. Things got busy. I hope this makes up for it; an extra long chapter with hopefully a lot of interesting turns. I'll see you on the other side!**

* * *

Diana wasted no time. "Help me with her," she ordered the younger heroine. "My leg is hurt."

Barbara hurried forward, extricating a rope out of her belt to tie Talia's hands together while Diana hefted her into a fireman's lift with some difficulty.

Barbara eyed her damaged leg."Are you sure you can hold her?" She asked with some doubt. "I can do it, if you want."

Diana waved away the offer even as she staggered. "That won't be necessary."

Bruce had once told Barbara that Amazons were notoriously proud, but she had never seen it firsthand until now. She supposed the Amazon and Bruce had a lot in common.

The two of them hurried out of the building and onto the street, only to be met with screams.

"What's going on?" Diana asked Barbara with alarm, watching two women run across the road with their hands clamped to their heads.

"Oh, no," Barbara said softly.

"Oh no what?" Diana asked impatiently. "I think those people need help, Batgirl. They look afraid." She started forward.

Barbara grabbed her arm. "Don't!" Diana turned with some irritation, only to see the young woman's blue eyes alight with fear. "We need to get out of here. Now. Can you fly us out?"

"What? Why?" Although she had no idea what was going on, Diana also felt a sudden, inexplicable fear arising in herself.

Barbara was suddenly taking very shallow breaths. "This place has been... It's been... gassed..."

"Gassed?" Diana repeated, feeling that unnatural fear crawling over her own skin far too strongly.

Barbara was sinking to her knees, but managed to grab Diana's shoulders to hold her up. "Talia had a back-up plan," she said, and then her eyes snapped open wide, crazily and she screamed, "_We're going to die_!"

Something very strange happened to Diana then- her vision flickered, and then, instead of seeing Barbara, all she saw was another version of herself. But the version of herself was the one she had seen on the monitors after she had been compromised. There was a crazed look in this Diana's eye.

"I killed them all," other-Diana said, calmly. "Every last one."

Diana shook. "I didn't kill anyone!"

Other-Diana paid no heed. She held up one fist, examing her own hand with awe. "They were destroyed by me. I didn't mean to," she reassured, "but afterwards, I felt... freer. And it made me realize this strength of mine wasn't given to me to hold peace." She flashed a grin Diana's way. "I am here to destroy."

"Never," Diana promised, her voice rising in hysteria. "Never! I'll never become you!" And she lashed out, desperately, unaware in her madness of who she was truly fighting...

In the chaos and in the overbearing, all-consuming fear, neither of them noticed that their hostage quietly slipped away.

* * *

**BATMAN POV**

"Sir, there's a problem," Alfred reported.

Batman sighed inaudibly from his seat in the Batmobile, turning the volume up on his communicator and down on the police radio as he drove. "What," he said tersely. He was trying to figure out where Ra's might be. Where Ra's was, the toxin was. Batman suspected a large machine would be used to release large amounts of fear gas onto Gotham.

"The aerosol diffuser is ready, but the antidote isn't. Star labs and myself have had a good look at the toxin, and it's going to take days, if not weeks, to make it. The process is too indirect and arduous using the toxin itself."

Batman gnashed his teeth together, thinking. There wasn't enough time for that. There wasn't enough time for anything. Hopefully he would be able to stop Ra's before he started his operation, but he needed contingencies. He always did.

A faint memory of the Justice League founders room briefly flashed through his head.

"What about using a sample of my blood?" Batman said. "I have antibodies against it. We could avoid some of the more tedious processes involved if we could just reproduce it. We don't even need too much- a few litres would be more than enough to spray over the affected areas." He tried not to allow any desperation into his voice. He needed this to work. There was no other way; he was backed into a corner.

There was a pause on the other line. "That could work, sir." Batman hated, hated, hated the way the butler's voice tried to sound as convincing as possible.

"I'll leave a vial of my blood at one of our rendez-vous points." Batman tapped something on his navigation system. "I'm closest to Biscuits And Tea, so I'll leave it there." He turned off his communicator and skidded into the alley behind the restaurant. Second time this night he'd been here, but this was its purpose, after all. Bruce Wayne had started the restaurant some time ago to help Batman in his nightly escapades; a base of sorts. Robin often called him narcissistic for naming it so that it had the acronym BAT.

As Batman hastily took a sample of his blood from his arm, the police radio on his dash crackled.

"...disturbance on fifteenth, two armed teenagers disturbing the peace... no, three... four... I..." a note of panic entered the speaker's voice as he lost professionalism, "there's a crowd of screaming people coming right at me! Requesting back up on fifteenth! I repeat! Requesting back up on fif-"

Batman was already peeling out.

* * *

The scene was just as terrible as he had imagined. People were running amok through the streets, with the telltale signs of fear toxin in their body language, their eyes, and in their terrified and yet aggressive screams.

After tearing a few crazed looking men off a small, terrified child, he retreated to the gargoyle of the clock tower, mentally calculating where the fear gas had come from based on how and where it had originated and spread. When he was finished with his triangulation, he jumped off and sailed to where it began... Ace chemicals plant.

he knew Ra's was likely expecting him- if he wasn't, he would be a fool, and Batman knew he was no fool- and that this would probably be the fight of his life, which was saying something. He knew there was hardly a chance of winning. He had no smart plan, no clever algorithm. All he knew was he had to fight now, or everything he had been fighting for his entire life would be lost.

Batman had already calculated the position of the machine given the spread of the gas through the district, and he had a feeling that where the machine was, was also where he would find Ra's. He shook off the feeling of what if you can't beat him? and told himself he had to. He _had_ to. Because if he didn't, then his city would fall.

This thought calmed him, and he landed on the rooftop with a steady mind.

Just as expected, there was Ra's- alone, leaning against the machine that powered the gassing of the city.

"Ra's," Batman greeted coldly, as if this were an ordinary meeting.

Ra's straightened and smiled derangedly at him. "Ah, Detective. I'm impressed, as usual. Have you turned to the local news channel lately? It seems that the city's vigilante went on a mass killing spree last night."

Batman bared his teeth, knowing Ra's was trying to goad him. "I didn't kill anyone."

Ra's peered into his eyes. "But you're considering it now."

Batman said nothing.

Ra's continued. "I'm a hundred times stronger than you, a hundred times faster than you, and you have no tactical advantage whatsoever. You've been caught completely off guard. Even if you manage to stop me this time, which is doubtful, to say the least-" he chuckled, "then I'll be back again. And again. And again until this scourge of a city is wiped clean from the earth and so is anyone else who stands in my way. You know this will be the case."

Batman shook his head. "This ends tonight."

Ra's gave another half-laugh. "How so, Detective? I've played it brilliantly, if I do say so myself. I am the reason you are no longer associated with the Justice League, and that lack of communication means no one can help you now."

Batman narrowed his eyes under his cowl. He couldn't possibly mean…?

"Your friends are busy chasing a ghost in Metropolis," laughed Ra's. "I planted clues there. Red herrings. You know what red herrings are, don't you, Detective? They're on high alert. I'd pity them if I wasn't enjoying it so much." He also seemed to be enjoying the tick in his opponent's jaw. "They have no idea what is going on, do they? One of your fatal flaws, Batman: your stubbornness. Today, you have become Gotham's downfall. It's poetic justice, isn't it? You have become what you swore you would never be, and all without even realizing it." The machine behind him hissed, and the gas was again released into the streets below.

That was the final straw; this was madness and it had to stop. Out of sheer desperation, Batman lunged forward.

Ra's was ready, but that didn't matter. What mattered as they parried and swung blows at each other was that Batman was full to the brim with seething determination and Ra's with anger. Ra's threw his fists, heavy with the power of Lazarus; Batman used every tool in his arsenal. The battle was just as much emotional as it was physical, and the fear stemming below them seemed to fuel them. Neither had any more cards left to play; it was no longer a game of calculations but a match of pure physicality to determine the victor.

But eventually, Ra's broke through. One kick Batman didn't see; one mistake, and he was sent tumbling across the rooftop. Batman got up and felt in his belt; but he only had one batarang yet and damn him if he would use it out of desperation, vainly, right now. As Ra's stepped closer, watching Batman's struggles with amusement, he laughed again: "No more, Detective. We both know who has won today." The distant screams of the people of Gotham- people Batman had sworn to protect- made him grit his teeth through the pain and the weakness.

"Give up, and I will grant you a painless death," Ra's intoned, although the gleam in his eyes suggested otherwise.

Batman struggled up, coughing blood up as he went. He knew he still wasn't up to his physical optimum; he had been woken up from a near-coma hours before. But _damn it_, that had never stopped him before…

And yet, he knew, somewhere in his dreading, sinking heart, that Ra's was right. Batman could not win; in fact, he had lost.

He swallowed, fists balling up. But that didn't matter. It had never mattered. Batman was not a legend because he always won. No, it was for a different reason.

Batman didn't always win, but he never

_Ever_.

Gave up.

And he swung at his opponent again.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Batcave, Alfred was desperately trying to get in contact with Barbara. "Miss Gordon? Are you there?" he said repeatedly into the mic, in his usual neutral tones; but one could tell how worried he was because he didn't notice Tim until he spoke.

"She's in trouble, isn't she."

Alfred jumped a little. Just a little. Not enough for the boy to notice, anyway. He turned around to see the young boy, wearing his pajamas and his hair sticking out in all directions.

"Master Tim, you aren't supposed to be down here right now," he chided.

Tim shrugged. "You don't care."

Alfred turned back to the computers. The boy was right, Alfred didn't; but it was his duty as Master Bruce's butler to at least make attempts at parental solidarity. "Miss Gordon is not replying," he said, leaning against the keyboard.

Tim padded up to the computer and sat down in the seat that Bruce usually brooded in. "Should we take a look at her locator, see where she's at?"

Alfred opened his mouth to agree when a beeping sound was issued from the computer. A message. Alfred quickly tapped a button and read it. "Oh, no. Master Bruce won't be happy about this."

Tim was reading it too. "They say they can't reproduce Bruce's blood antibodies fast enough to contain the chemical in the city." He turned to Alfred. "That's not good, is it."

Alfred closed his eyes briefly. "No, it's not." He opened them again to see Tim looking at him with a bit of concern. The older gentleman forced himself to infuse some life into his next words. "But we will find another solution, Master Tim, not to worry," he said, turning away under the guise of examining the blood sample again, when in reality he just needed the boy not to see him looking afraid. Because he was. There was nothing else he could think of that they could do, and his mind was nearly as sharp as the Master's.

He looked idly into microscope image of the sample of chemical and felt his frustration grow. He had tried so many antidotes on the sample, and nothing was working to destroy it… he needed a solution, and fast.

"That's the stuff, huh." Tim's voice said behind him. "The stuff that's making everybody in Gotham go crazy."

"Yes," Alfred said.

Tim stepped forward. "Can I look at it?"

Alfred stepped aside; he wasn't making any progress anyway.

Tim looked through the lens. "It's scary stuff," Tim commented, and his tone was conversational and calm as he spoke. "Joker used something similar on me... on the worst days. I think it was some weird mix of Scarecrow's fear toxin. He was always trying to think of ways to make me scream louder."

Alfred closed his eyes, unable to bear hearing those words come out of the young boy's mouth and yet horrified, transfixed, unable to tell him to stop.

Tim puffed out a little laugh. "He'd get real angry at Harley because she thought it was gasoline one time and tried to use it to set an explosion and it ruined its... potenc..." his voice died away, and then his head shot up and he was speaking with excitement that baffled the butler. "Alfred, there might be a way to get rid of this stuff!"

* * *

Batman was barely keeping up; his injuries were finally starting to get to him. His reaction time was just a tad to slow; his hits just a little bit off; and suddenly his comm link buzzed in his ear. Alfred's voice filled the link with excitement, not even any formalities: "Sir, the liquid phase of the chemical decomposes into its gaseous harmless components when combusted. I know, it seems counterintuitive- but it seems to be the Achille's Heel."

Batman didn't even reply; just registered this information like a soldier and fought on. Alfred seemed to suddenly understand, and the comm link buzzed off.

Ra's grabbed Batman by the cowl in that moment that he finally realized what he could do and threw him against the concrete, head-first.

Batman's vision went black for an instant, then returned with stars. He could not get up. He physically could not.

Ra's seemed to realize he was done. His demonic eyes surveyed the Dark Knight with satisfaction. "They all break in the end, don't they?" he said. "But I suppose you learned that from your friend the Joker…"

This comment enraged Batman so much that he actually was able to get to his knees before Ra's, with a mocking gentleness, pushed him back down on his back. Batman was unable to register anything except the night sky above him and his own feeling of crushing disappointment and guilt. _I failed them. Again_. His nightmares from last night, coming true in the cruelest way possible.

"Finally, I can kill you," Ra's sighed, seeming almost sane for a moment, before unsheathing his sword for the final blow.

"Wait."

Ra's turned around at the voice, his eyebrows raising.

Batman didn't need to turn to recognize the accented voice.

Talia.

"What are you doing here, daughter?" Ra's hissed, clenching his hands together. "I thought I told you to stay out of this."

Batman barely turned his neck to see Talia sauntering towards them, although he noted she was covered in splashes of blood and bruises. Her eyes, just like her father's, were wavering in their sanity and logic, the clear affects of Lazarus on her as well. But what had become of Diana and Barbara, who had presumably fighting her? They hadn't...?

He couldn't even let himself think it right now.

"Let me do it," she said.

Ra's looked shocked for a moment before he quickly covered it up and pointed his sword accusingly at her. "You?"

"Me," Talia confirmed, softly. "Please, father, for your daughter. Let me kill him, although I know that we both crave to do it."

He seemed to debate it for a moment, before he finally bequeathed his sword to her silently.

Batman finally spoke, hoarsely. "Talia."

"Trying to talk me out of it?" Talia said conversationally, her manic eyes flashing momentarily with unrestrained rage. "You were always so well versed in manipulation."

Batman coughed weakly. "We had that in common." Keep her talking. Keep her talking. Keep her talking…

"Do it!" Ra's shouted suddenly at his daughter. "Do it, or he'll find another way out of it and once again our cause will be lost because of your actions."

Talia paused, and then seemed to gather the courage.

Talia pointed the sword tip at Batman's throat. "Goodbye, Beloved," she whispered, and her beautiful eyes were full of a fury, of a hatred, that Batman had never seen before.

Her sword stabbed ruthlessly, without indecision. and ran right through the chest.

Of Ra's Al Ghul.

Batman barely had time to register the fact because at the same time he'd thrown his last Batarang at the machine evaporating the fear gas, cutting into the wire for its power supply. A high, keening sound erupted from the machine. Batman knew it would blow any moment; and he had thought his last act might be to destroy what he could of the monstrous creation.

And yet, in front of him, Ra's fell to his knees, staring at the sword still impaled in his chest.

Talia finally pulled it out, staring through heavy lids with disgust.

Ra's got back to his feet, albeit weaker. "You knew that wouldn't kill me, daughter. I am too strong."

Talia watched him balefully. "Yes, I knew."

Ra's stared at her even as his chest bled profusely, at a seeming loss for words after his daughter, for the first time in perhaps ever, spoke with such authority and confidence about something that was not on her father's agenda.

While Batman was struggling to get up- that machine was going to blow any minute and he didn't plan to be around when it did- he couldn't help but feel a touch of pride for Talia's change of heart.

She spoke with _independence_.

"What was the purpose?" Ra's said, his voice dangerously low. "You still love him?" he spat, directing his voice at Batman.

"No," Talia said, wavering for a moment before putting her hands on her hips and drawing herself up. "But I have decided to love _myself_. I no longer affiliate myself with your crusade. You have aided in the destroying of this world far more than you have _helped_ it. And..." she swallowed, her eyes welling with tears- "you say you are my father, yet you have never tried to help _me_."

The brief silence on the roof, albeit the wailing machine, spoke the loudest of all.

"You truly believe that," Ra's stated.

"Yes."

There was a painfully long pause on that rooftop, as the keening of the machine grew louder and the screaming below as well. Batman had stood up, and was now thinking very fast on a plan to get them all out of there...

"Then you are not my daughter," Ra's hissed, and pulled a shorter dagger out of his robes, lunging.

Talia stopped the blade. With the palm of her hand. The blade cut her skin, and blood dripped down her arms; but she was too fierce to care.

"No more," she said, angrily. "No. More." She pushed him away; and he, now the weaker one in this turn of events, stumbled back. She kicked forward, planting her boot on his bloody chest and pushing him, far far across the roof until he slammed into the machine he had built.

Steam began to spurt out of the machine. Batman knew enough about it to know that within several seconds they'd all be dead.

Ra's, even in his defeat, laughed through a mouthful of blood. "And what are you going to do now, dear Talia?" he said, spitting the phrase out. "Kill me?"

Talia stared down at her Ra's Al Ghul, tears now streaming down her face. "I'm not going to kill you, Father," Talia said, "but I don't have to save you, either."

And with one last wrenching sob, Talia Al Ghul leaped in one bounding movement, grabbing Batman around the waist and jumping off the roof.

The explosion was huge; a resounding boom issued behind them, and Batman felt the heat of it searing the back of his neck as they fell down, down, down...

He didn't have the right to undo Talia's decision, and besides, he didn't want to.

It was difficult for him to acknowledge, but Talia had done good this time.

Landing gracefully on the ground below, she immediately turned back up to look at the now half-decimated building. The people who had been on the street seemed to be fleeing from the explosion; Batman could still hear their shrieks distantly from the nearby neighbourhoods. "He… could not have survived that, even in his state."

Batman said nothing; partly because he was in too much pain to expend words unnecessarily, and partly because he had learned never to assume that was the case.

But there was one thing that was necessary to say, right now. "Talia."

She looked at him, expectant.

"Thank you," he said, gruff.

She wiped her face with the back of her hand, turning back to the embers that floated down from the sky. "I lied to him."

Batman waited.

"I still love you," she sighed. "A part of me will always love you. And yet, a part of me hates you," she admitted, sounding perplexed at her own voice. Her eyes still flickered with a tinge of insanity.

The Lazarus still affected her; she seemed to recognize this too, from her confusion at her own mental state. "I can get you the help you need," Batman said, lowly. "You can start over. You have always been a good person at heart." As he spoke, he gently took her elbow and guided her slowly down the street. She followed along, dazed. "I believe in you." She looked unconvinced. He tried a different tactic. "Even better… _you_ believe in you."

She seemed to smile a bit at that, and although it was bad practice to do so while wearing the mask, he cracked the tiniest hint of one, too.

Another loud, shrill scream pierced the air- Talia jumped. Ah yes, the other problem. The urgency returned.

The issue of the fear gas spreading in Gotham. He grabbed her wrist. "Do you know how to stop it? An antidote? Anything?" he asked harshly.

"No," Talia said, and the truth shone in the tears gathering in her eyes. Batman believed her.

He wanted to wait until he saw Talia in the hands of the authorities, but Gotham couldn't wait that long. He gritted his teeth, knowing she'd be long gone by the time he was finished here, but he didn't have a choice.

He opened his mouth, but Talia cut him off without even looking at him. "Go, Beloved. Save them."

He didn't wait around, but began to run back to where he had parked the Batmobile.

As he ran, tapped his comm. "Penny One, is the antidote synthesized yet?"

"Bad news on that front, sir," Alfred said on the other line, picking up right where he had left off, "the antidote still cannot be synthesized on time. These people will be lost before it can be produced."

Batman shook his head at Alfred's tone. "I'm not giving up."

There was a pause, and then the voice of his surrogate father came loud and clear. "I know, sir."

"I've got another plan. Have the aerosol diffuser in the Cave hooked up to the Batplane by the time I get back."

"Sir, what-?"

Batman shut off the link, leaped into the vehicle, and within seconds the smell of burning rubber filled the alleyway.

* * *

"Do you have it?" he asked sharply, striding forward without missing a beat from the Batmobile. Alfred eyed his sullied costume but said nothing. "Yes, sir, it's all been done, but may I ask _why_-"

"Tim, what are you doing here?" Batman barked.

Tim, still sitting in Batman's chair, shrugged. "I think you have more important things to worry about."

"Tim here did some very good work tonight," Alfred pointed out. "He was the one who was working with me on the chemical, and he was the one who found out it's fatal flaw. He is the one who you should be thanking."

Batman was struck silent at this information, before he just shook his head and moved on. He rolled up his sleeve as the other two watched in confusion, and got into the Batplane. "Alfred, hook my vein up to the aerosol diffuser," he said, staring straight ahead.

He could feel the realization slowly dawning on them. "Sir, you couldn't…"

"I will," Batman said. "_Do_ _it_."

Tim spoke now, his voice sounding frightened. "You're going to basically spray your blood in a gas form over the affected region of Gotham? First of all, are you sure that the antibodies are concentrated enough in your blood? And second of all… Bruce… That's risky."

"It's more than risky," Alfred cut in, looking angry. "Master Bruce, you would very probably die.."

"I won't, and it will work," Batman said. "Do it, Alfred," he commanded.

Alfred, with shaky hands, inserted the needle into the crook of his charge's elbow. "Sir… please…"

Batman stared stoically ahead. "I don't want to hear it."

Alfred spoke again: "Bruce."

This one word, so strange from Alfred's mouth, was startling enough for Batman to turn inadvertently.

His oldest friend's wise brown eyes were beseeching. "You have always proven to be a brave, brave boy in the face of evil, Master Bruce. Perhaps it's selfish but…" he swallowed. "I just ask that just this once you don't be."

Batman looked into the butler's eyes and saw an emotion that he didn't want to see. Alfred often hid it well, but it shone far too clearly tonight.

For a brief, shameful moment, Bruce Wayne wanted to get out of the cockpit.

But Batman turned back to the controls of the plane.

"I will never turn my back on people who need me," he said finally, and pressed the button to shut the glass roof of the plane, sealing him in to the darkness.

And yet he still heard Alfred's voice, soft and heart-breakingly sad as the engines went on: "I know."

* * *

He was flying over the neighbourhood in Gotham where the people were screaming, attacking each other, and where hell was breaking loose.

Chaos.

Alfred's voice crackled in through the radio, professional. "And remember, sir, you can only lose a few litres of blood before you go critical."

Batman didn't reply. He'd lose as much blood as was needed to make these people safe. He hit the button the aerosol diffuser, and his blood began to disperse over the crows as he sailed.

"Your vitals are looking all right so far," Tim reported on the line minutes later. "Do you think you'll be able to do this?"

Batman paused. "Tim, I need you to promise me something."

"What?" the boy was startled.

"I'm going to turn on the autopilot soon," Batman said. "And I need you to promise me that you won't bring this plane home until there's not a person in Gotham who is still affected by the gas."

There was silence on the other end. "But…"

"You've proven something to me tonight," Batman cut him off, beginning to feel a bit lightheaded. "You've proven, as you always have, that you are skilled, intelligent, and determined to help. You've proven that I can trust you. And I was wrong to ever doubt that I could." he ignored the sound of protest he heard. "I trust you to do this. Do you promise?"

His protege whispered, "Yes."

He smiled a bit in the darkness of the plane's cockpit; he felt himself slipping. His finger glided over the autopilot button, and finally pushed it.

In the faint distance, it seemed, he heard Alfred in a panic, saying something about lower blood pressures and heart rates but it didn't seem to concern him right then. "One more thing. If you see Barbara and Diana, before I get back..." he swallowed, because he knew. He knew that he had chosen to save Gotham over her. It had been in the back of his mind the whole night after he hadn't heard from Barbara, but now all he could see were _her_ ocean-blue eyes. "Tell her I'm sorry." Sorry not because he couldn't save her, but because he had truly _chosen_ not to.

"You're not going to die, Master Bruce, stop talking like that," Alfred said fiercely on the other line.

Batman smiled knowingly as his vision began to fade. "I know. And Tim… you remember your promise. I know you will. It's what makes you a hero…" His vision seemed to fade away… "Robin…"

And then everything went black.

* * *

Diana was brought back to awareness in little increments. Gradually, she was aware she was lying on the ground. Still feeling like she was in a fog, she struggled to her knees; crusted blood made her legs stick to the concrete.

She heard similar groaning sounds around her, and memories came back to her in a flood. She shot up.

"Barbara!" she called, in her alarm forgetting to use the other name.

She scanned the area frantically, her heart beating far too fast, until she saw a familiar mop of red hair lying unmoving among the wounded.

She skidded to her side, hands shaking. "Hera, no, Batgirl!" She flipped the younger woman over; Batgirl's eyes were closed and her face looked ashy. Diana felt her pulse.

It was there. Weak.

Diana let out a breath and closed her eyes. She hadn't killed her. But the panic had been real for a moment. It was still there. She had done this to the woman now limp in her arms, with her power. It was like the contingency plans all over again.

Looking at the young woman she had beat to near death in a frenzy, she was afraid of herself.

She picked Batgirl up and began walking. She heard sirens in the distance; good, they would help all the other people here. First she needed to get Batgirl to safety. The BatCave, she immediately thought. And then: Oh, Hera, Bruce. She hoped he was alright. But she had a responsibility to this girl now. To make sure she was all right.

She had never really been scared of her own power before the contingency plans. She had always thought of it as a gift that allowed her to help others. She understood now, what Bruce was always going on about. She, the woman Diana, wasn't the threat. But her powers were, if corrupted. And although she knew somewhere that this wasn't really her fault, she didn't suppose she would forgive herself for it any time soon.

As she walked, slowly stumbling through the streets as the sky began to lighten with an orange glow, she wondered if this was how Bruce always felt.

* * *

Tim couldn't help but stare, frozen, at the screen as his surrogate father's voice crackled away. It was the first time he had called him that since what had happened to him.

"Bring him back," Alfred said.

Tim shut his eyes tightly for a moment. "No. Alfred, we can't. Not until it's all clear." When the butler made a noise of protest behind him, Tim added, "He trained us to know what's important in this mission, Alfred. You know him better than anyone else. This is what he wants."

"I'm aware." Alfred was quiet a moment. Then: "But any father will tell you that he would do anything not to lose his son."

Tim turned around to find Alfred's eyes glassy, but the computer beeped before he could say anything. "It's done," Tim said, and tapped a few buttons on the board. "I'm bringing him home."

* * *

"Get him on the table, and get ready to hook up his arm to the IV," Alfred ordered urgently, as the two of them carried Batman's unmoving body onto the operating table.

Alfred snapped on his gloves and began cutting off the armour with a medical efficiency as Tim ran to get some of Bruce's spare blood bags from the fridge. Most often, when the Master was in this position, Alfred compartmentalized his attachment to the boy and surveyed him like any professional doctor would.

He found that it made his hands shake much less.

The beeps on the monitor were slow and too far between; Alfred and Tim watched as the blood slowly flowed from the bag to the IV and through the tube until it hit Bruce's arm.

Bruce flatlined at the exact same time.

They both jumped into action at the same time, Tim scrambling for the defibrillator as Alfred wiped at the blood on Bruce's chest.

Alfred shouted, "Clear!" and both of them held their breath.

Bruce's body jerked unnaturally at the electrocution.

The heart monitor continued to flatline.

He did it again.

Same result.

"Come on, Bruce," Tim shouted angrily as Alfred wiped his brow. "Come on."

Alfred started chest compressions- Bruce's body took the force limply, and not a twitch of life was to be seen in him.

Tim choked back a sob, hovering close to the butler's side. "Alfred-"

"We're not giving up on him just yet, Master Tim," Alfred cut him off harshly. "Clear!"

Again, the electricity surged through Bruce's body. With bated breath, Alfred lifted the pads off Bruce's chest and the both of them peered at his face for signs of life.

Nothing.

An exhale shuddered through both of them. "Is there anything else we can try?" Tim asked, his voice devoid of emotion now. In the dim light of the cave and in light of the circumstances before them, Tim noted that the butler looked older than he ever had.

Alfred looked at a loss for words.

And then a great gasp of breath issued out of Bruce's mouth. The heart monitor started beeping again, weak and slow but steady. He was alive, against all the odds. Again.

Instantly, Alfred set to work; checking his vitals and adjusting the IV running into his arm.

Bruce breathed steadily on the table. He was going to be all right, and the realization hit them both at once that Bruce had once again cheated death.

They both exhaled again, this time in relief, and looked each other.

"Alfred?" a new voice cut through the adrenaline-filled silence.

They both looked, alert and alarmed- only to see it was Wonder Woman at the external cave entrance, carrying Barbara in a fireman's lift.

Alfred immediately went to her side and helped her bring Barbara to the other table. "Miss Prince, are you alright? What happened?" he asked.

Diana swallowed. She was tired, hurt and weakened, but her radiance glowed through her every pore and seemed to make the Cave just that much brighter to be in. "We were affected by the fear gas." She closed her eyes. "I… did this to her. It's lucky that I wasn't in good shape or I probably would have done much more damage. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Diana," Tim said.

"I don't know how the effects wore off so quickly, though," Diana said, acknowledging Tim's words with a small, quick smile. "I wasn't under the influence of it for very long."

"That probably had something to do with Master Bruce," Alfred said wryly from where he was tending to Barbara.

"Bruce?" Diana said blankly, until she finally caught sight of his motionless body on the table. "Hera, Bruce!" She rushed over to him; he was covered with blood and bruises and she absolutely hated seeing him this way- she automatically reached out to touch the pale, clammy skin of his face; before pulling back hesitantly, unsure of how delicate his condition was.

"He will be fine," Alfred reassured. Then mumbled, "No thanks to him, of course…"

She reached forward and hesitantly stroked his sweaty hair off his forehead. "What happened?"

Tim looked up at the endless blackness that was the ceiling of the cave. "It's a long story…"

* * *

**A/N: I really hoped you guys enjoyed that! I actually used some (gasp) new 52 material as inspiration here- batman the dark knight vol 2. You'll also notice the nods to the dark knight trilogy. Anyway, next up is essentially the aftermath that will hopefully tie up most of if not all of the loose ends and really unite all this story's plotlines neatly. I feel like I'm going to be really ticked off because this fic is SO CLOSE to 100k words but I don't think I'll actually get there... grrr... maybe I'll have to write an unnecessary epilogue to bring it there... LOL. Let me know what you thought of this chapter as always, you guys know by now that I love reading them and chatting with you!**


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: Hey guys. In this chapter, there is a a sex scene that leans toward M, but I didn't go into too much detail because I'm trying to keep it T. This is your warning. I hope you enjoy, and a bigger note is at the end. So without further ado, the last update!**

* * *

Bruce came to slowly; first aware of his own breathing, then the light streaming through the window and hitting his eyelids, and then a far-too-familiar voice.

"Glad you're up. You look like a mess."

He cracked his eyelids open just a little bit, in order to see Dick sitting in a wooden chair by his bedside.

"Talk to me when you get rid of that mullet," he managed to croak.

Dick snorted at the comment. "Well played. Glad to see you're still an asshole after almost dying."

Bruce tried to heave himself upright in the pillows, but stopped at the immense pain in his side.

The smirk vanished off Dick's face as he reached forward instinctually; then he seemed to know better and put his hands back by his sides. "Don't," he said semi-sternly, "You have a bunch of broken ribs."

"I gathered," Bruce replied with gritted teeth, sinking back into the mattress. "What happened."

Dick waved his question away with one hand. "Oh, you know; you sacrificed yourself saving the day, until Alfred hauled your ass back to the land of the living. The usual."

Bruce ignored his flippant tone. "And… Barbara? Diana?" He waited with bated breath.

Dick rolled his eyes exaggeratingly. "They're fine, Bruce. Everyone is fine." His voice lost the mockery for a second. "We won. It's over."

"It's never over," Bruce replied gruffly. "I thought I taught you that."

"Oh, shut your trap," Dick said, and leaned forward. "Why didn't you call me? I know you're stubborn, but not _this_ stubborn. I would have left Bludhaven in a second to help. I even _wanted_ to."

"I know," Bruce said. "That's why I didn't." At Dick's puzzled look, he shook his head.

Dick stared at him. "Bruce, you never make any sense." And he seemed ready to leave the topic well alone, but for some reason, Bruce felt the urge to explain, to lessen the tension between himself and the one he regarded as a son. Maybe it was the near-death experience rearranging his priorities.

Or maybe he was high off the meds. Likely the latter, but-

"Dick, when you retired your mask as Robin and decided you were done with me and what I did, I took it seriously," Bruce said, being careful to look at him directly in the eye.

"I punched you in the face, Bruce, you don't have to sugarcoat it," Dick said. Bruce ignored his jab.

"You wanted to go on your own mission, so why should I call you back to mine. Do you understand?" he asked, because Dick was looking at the ground now, pensive.

"Why do you have to go and have these good intentions behind stuff like this?" The eldest grumbled, and straightened. "I'm going to make this clear right now. I left, and it's true, I want to make my own way in life, but that doesn't mean I don't want to help you now and then, either. I…" For once, Dick stammered- like Bruce, he wasn't so good at being genuine- "don't want to attend your funeral."

_I love you._

That was about as close as Dick would get to saying it to Bruce.

Bruce stayed silent at the admission, until Dick spoke, wryly. "Why do we always have these misunderstandings?"

He wouldn't be saying what he said next if he weren't feeling rather floaty off meds. "I guess that's just how it is."

Dick was puzzled. "How it is what?"

"Between fathers and sons."

He'd probably regret saying that later, but when Dick finally got off his chair to hug him, he thought that no, maybe he wouldn't.

**DIANA POV**

The Watchtower was abuzz, a day and a half after. The public fiasco in Metropolis had left many doubting the League's prowess, and the publicity department had never been busier. Superman, on the other hand, when not busy fielding questions, was slumped in the Monitor Room, rubbing his forehead tiredly and thinking.

So when Diana walked in, he didn't even seem to notice until she tapped his shoulder.

He jumped. "Diana! How are you feeling?"

She shrugged. "Much better." And so was Barbara. It relieved her that she hadn't done too much damage. "Gotham City seems to be recovering well, too. Most people made it out alive. They're lucky." She paused. "But I'm here to ask the same to you."

Clark closed his eyes, leaning back in the chair. "I've been thinking, Diana. I screwed up. Badly, in Metropolis. But there's a reason why and-"

"I know," she interrupted. "And you're right. We need to try, one last time."

He looked at her with pleading eyes. "Will you?"

She stared into his earnest, sky-blue eyes with a gentle firmness. "We need to do this right. _You_ have to do it."

Superman rubbed his temples, staring off at the metal table's surface without really seeing. "I don't know if he'll listen… Sometimes he just doesn't see reason…"

"Clark," she interrupted, hands on hips. "He respects you, although he might not show it. He'll listen this time because I'm positive he gets it too. You just need to be genuine."

He nodded a few times at her words, as if seeking to reassure himself. "Yeah…" His head came up, and he cleared his proud throat. "How… how is he?"

She pictured his bruised and battered body, lying on that cot, looking like Hades had already taken him, and suppressed a shudder. "He's going to be fine. At least until I get my hands on him," she added, a bit darkly.

To her surprise, Clark laughed. "I think he's starting to rub off on you, Diana."

* * *

"He'll see you now," said Alfred some hours later, stepping out of Bruce's bedroom.

"Thank you, Alfred." The butler nodded and disappeared around the corner of the hallway. She stood from the armchair; it had been a long day, and then she'd come down to check on Bruce and he'd woken up, finally. She was ready to beat some sense into him. Metaphorically.

But as soon as she stepped into the room, the afternoon sun shining lazily in, and saw him, wearing a thin pair of white cotton pants and nothing else as he struggled to swing his legs over the bedside, all she could do was run a few steps forward and hug him.

He wheezed a little into her hair, and she was reminded that he was injured. "Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized, setting him down, a tad unceremoniously, back onto the bed. He really shouldn't be trying to get up anyway.

She looked him up and down. His thick dark hair was sticking up in all directions, but his skin was a healthier colour again, and his ice-blue eyes were full of keening life and intelligence once again. Satisfied of his health, she let her eyes roam the rest of his body. She hadn't seen him shirtless in a while, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't quite like it.

He finally cleared his throat. "Take a picture, Princess. It'll last longer." He coughed a little, then smiled wryly. "Literally."

She frowned at the implication, and was suddenly reminded of all the reasons she was angry. "You are a _fool_," she exclaimed, poking a finger into his chest rather forcefully. "You almost got yourself killed!"

He ruefully rubbed the spot where she'd jabbed him with one large hand. "That risk comes with the territory. You know that."

She did. And she told herself, she respected that. They were both heroes, and they had to take risks. But he took the most _insane_ ones, she reflected. "Barbara- she's well?" she asked suddenly, unable to stop herself.

He examined her closely, and she tried to keep a rein on the guilt until he nodded. "Yes."

She exhaled, and then turned her attention back to him. "I was so worried," she ground out angrily, and he looked so unrepentant and sleepy with that small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, so she leaned forward and kissed him because she couldn't help it.

He made a surprised sound in the back of his throat, but she kept at it, kissing his lips repeatedly until he finally grabbed the back of her head and kissed her back, forcefully.

She wasn't really completely aware when he guided her down onto the bed- honestly, the man was a force to be reckoned with in these matters, even when injured- and then she was straddling him, legs on either side of his waist, and one of his hands trailed her side as he bit playfully at her bottom lip.

Her lips parted slightly, and he took the opportunity to sneak his tongue in. And so the dance started again, a little slower, a little more sensual. Her hands, fisted in his hair, slowly made their way down his neck and collarbone, stroking lightly over the muscles as they tensed and coiled.

A second later, he pulled away.

"What?" she asked; trying to chase his lips with her own, but he turned his head away, expression stony. They were both breathing hard.

"Bruce?" she asked again. His jaw, so appealingly displayed in profile, clenched. She bent forward to kiss it, but his hand was at her shoulder suddenly, stopping her. "You should probably leave," he said in monotone.

She was affronted. What was this about? She knew he still wanted her; in fact, she felt his attraction beneath her. What was this change of heart? "What's wrong?" she asked carefully. "Bruce, look at me."

He didn't. But he spoke. "I didn't choose you."

"Didn't choose me?" she repeated, bewildered. "What are you talking about?"

His Adam's apple bobbed a few times before he answered. "When… all this was happening, I knew you were in trouble."

She leaned back slightly. She had, admittedly, thought he had been too busy with what was happening to even know what was happening to her; and was surprised to learn that even in the midst of it all, he had kept tabs.

His eyes closed, tightly screwing shut as if in pain. She wanted to kiss away all the pain in that brow. "I chose Gotham, over you." He took a great, rasping breath, and what he said next seemed to take all his energy to say unwaveringly. "We need to end this, Diana."

"That is ridiculous!" Her anger came roaring back at his words. "You need to stop running away from your feelings, Bruce." He still refused to look at her, but she didn't care. She needed him to get this. "We talked about this. It's not your fault."

"It is," he fired right back, and finally turned to look at her. Their faces were a few inches apart, but the tension between them was anything but sexual. "You were in Gotham, because of _me_. That's why you got captured. You got captured- and tortured, from what Barbara told me- because Talia wanted to get to _me_. And then, because you were still here, you got hit by the fear gas and you attacked Barbara, which you think is your fault. I could see it in your eyes earlier. You feel so much guilt. You're feeling the pain that I feel, and that's a pain I never would wish on my worst enemy and least of all you. You're feeling that, Because. Of. _Me_," he ground out. "If we were not involved, none of this would have happened to you."

She stared at him, at a loss for words at the passion crackling in his eyes.

"You need to leave," he said flatly at the hurt clearly shining in her eyes. "I'm sorry you were caught victim in Bruce Wayne's endless line of women." His voice was cold. "Too bad I never really got you into bed."

That hurt, but only because she knew he was trying to. He was trying to hurt her, make her feel like he thought nothing of her so that she would leave forever and Bruce would have successfully ripped away another piece of his soul without blinking- but she knew the truth. She _knew_ it. But his eyes were so cold, so unrelenting, that it almost made one believe...

She didn't know what to do, to understand what he was feeling inside. She knew he was on edge. What she said next could either push him away forever, or finally tip the scales in her favour. And he was expecting her to fight him. He always expected a fight.

So she did the only thing he was not expecting right then- she kissed him.

Not like before, but softly, on his cheekbone, making sure her lips lingered and communicated all her fondness even if she was in turmoil right now.

She leaned back, and saw his acting waver. His eyes were full of surprise and tenderness and frustration and every emotion he had tried to shutter away.

She took his face in her two hands. "You listen to me, Bruce Wayne," she said firmly. "When I said I would never make you choose between Gotham and me, I meant it. Batman made the right choice. Because I can take care of myself, and I did. I can deal with my emotions healthily, too," she said pointedly- he ignored this. "I don't want to change who you are, Bruce," she said earnestly. "Because you have always been a man who was so incredibly capable of love, despite everything you have been through. I don't ask you to save me from villains or wait on me or take me out to dinner or shirk your duties as Gotham's protector. All I ask is that you allow yourself to love me like I know you do."

Her last words were a gamble on her part, but when his breath hitched, just so slightly enough for her keen senses to detect, she knew she was right; and her heart soared.

She waited for him to say something, anything, and now _she_ was ready for a fight, because she wasn't letting him go again- and then he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, just like she'd done to him. The soft touch brought a giddy feeling to her stomach.

Then he kissed her on the other cheek, and she leaned into it, eyes closing. His effect on her had always been intoxicating. His kisses were like butterfly wings, fluttering over her cheeks, her chin, her forehead, her throat, her nose, her eyelids.

His lips hovered, finally, tantalizingly, over hers before he hoarsely whispered, "Done," and then kissed her tenderly on the mouth.

**BRUCE POV**

It was a bit later when Diana's League Communicator beeped, and Diana looked at it from where she was lounging in the sheets. They hadn't had sex or anything, due to the fact that, no matter how well he hid it, his ribs were really killing him and she could sort of tell.

So instead they had leaned into each other and got caught up on what had happened, filling in the blanks and Bruce leaving out the most violent parts in order not to cause her worry.

He watched her lean forward to grab her communicator with lazy eyes. She listened, and murmured, "I'll be there in a few minutes."

When she straightened, he said, "Duty calls?"

"Indeed," she agreed, and leaned forward to quickly give him a peck on the mouth. He grabbed for her waist but she dodged away. "I have to be there in a few minutes, Bruce," she reprimanded, but there was an easy twinkle to her eye. She looked happy.

And it was because of him.

The thought was incredibly difficult to get his head around. He couldn't recall being the source of real happiness to anyone. He hoped fervently that he would always be able to make her happy.

For once, he brushed away the voice in his head that said at some point, he was going to screw this up.

He just had to trust her. Trust her when she said she would take care of herself. Trust her when she said that she didn't care. Trust her blindly. It went against every instinct engrained in him.

Maybe that was what love was, he thought with a touch of wryness.

When she left, he immediately got out of bed, ignoring the pain in his ribs, and went downstairs to the Cave.

He thought he would be alone there, but was surprised to see Tim and Barbara, wearing their sparring gear and sitting on the mats, talking. He kept to the shadows for a moment to watch them.

Their faces gleamed with sweat; they'd been practicing, but now they sat laughing at a shared joke.

He finally made his presence known.

"Barbara, you're not in shape to spar, it hasn't even been two days," he said, stepping into the light. They both turned to look at him, and the laughter faltered.

"Says the guy who died the other day," Tim said lightly. There was an undercurrent of tension. Bruce didn't know what to say to them. He wasn't high on meds right now. But there _was_ something he _needed_ to say.

Tim and Barbara stood then, as if of unspoken agreement between them. "We'll leave you to it," Barbara said a little flatly, and the two of them made their way to the stairs. As if that was it. They helped him on one day and then back to the reserve for them. He might agree with them.

Except.

"Wait," he called.

They stopped, turned.

"Where do you think you're going?" He nodded at the computer. "These cases aren't going to solve themselves, you know."

Tim and Barbara stared, dumbfounded, their mouths open in perfect Os that he found amusing. "You- you mean it?" Tim stammered.

Bruce regarded them seriously. "You're both important to me," he said, a little awkwardly. "I hope you can understand why I made the choice to keep you out of it." Barbara crossed her arms, a scowl forming on her features. Bruce took his time continuing. "But I've realized… it's really not my choice, is it? It's who you _are_." He nodded at them, knowing they could hear his pride; now leaning heavily on his chair because _god_ his ribs hurt. "Robin. Batgirl."

The grins on their faces made everything- everything- worth it.

* * *

Days later, when he was alone, suited up, in the cave, he heard Superman scuffling his boots in the Cave. Immediately, his guard was up. "Kent." He turned away from his computer.

The man in red and blue was standing in front of him, and he looked uncomfortable. "Hello, Bruce."

Bruce waited.

"I'm here to ask you one more time," Clark said. "To rejoin the League." When Bruce said nothing, he hastened on. "What happened a few days ago only proves my point, Bruce- the miscommunication between the League and Batman was preventable. It can be prevented in the future if we work together and share information. If we become a team again. We need -"

"I know," Bruce interrupted him. "You need me. I've come to realize that."

Bruce reached around and pulled his cowl off, revealing his piercing blue eyes. But Superman realized there was something more the man wanted to say.

"When you came here before… you never really let me finish," Bruce said, hands clasped behind his back now.

Clark was confused (and it showed) amidst his relief. "What are you talking about?"

"About the contingency plans," Bruce said. "You asked me if I ever thought to make a contingency plan for myself."

Clark raised an eyebrow.

"You were right," Bruce said, and the admission was almost painful for him. "The Justice League _can_ stop me. But that's not all."

Clark remained unimpressed looking.

"I have thought at length about what would happen if I went dark, believe it or not," Bruce said with some amusement. "And you know what I concluded? If anyone knows me well enough, they can defeat me. That's not just the Justice League. Even more" He nodded up at the endless ceiling, up at the manor above- "all those people up there. And honestly, they'd probably get to me first." He grinned, and he knew it startled Clark to see it. "So if I ever go bad: Those people are your greatest allies."

He watched Clark be taken aback for several seconds before he regained composure. He was being trusted with this information, and that wasn't something that Bruce ever took lightly. Perhaps Clark understood the significance of that leap of faith. "I'll take note," Clark replied, and smiled as well. "So- you're coming back?"

"The League needs me," Bruce said matter-of-factly, and Clark rolled his eyes at Bruce's arrogance, "and I- somewhat- need the League. We work better together and I'm not so stubborn as to let the world burn because I don't want to work with you. So yes, I'm coming back." He extended a hand. "Part-time."

Superman took it. "In name only. We all know you like spending your off-shifts reorganizing the logbook."

"Someone's got to do the dirty work," Bruce said, and there was a smile in his voice.

* * *

**ONE WEEK LATER**

It was a rather lazy Sunday afternoon, or at least it would be if his name weren't Bruce Wayne. As it were, Bruce was testing his latest batch of Batarangs in the Cave; Alfred was upstairs, dusting; Dick was back in Bludhaven and Tim was off with friends. Idly twisting the Batarang in his hands, he reflected on the fact that he was going to a Founder's Meeting today. It might be a little strange.

For everyone involved.

He wasn't going to pretend like he was better off on his own all the time. Most of the time, yes; but both groups tended to blunder when certain information went unshared, and he had realized that. What had happened was a textbook example of miscommunication. Maybe he had been just a little bit wrong. He'd admitted as much to Kent.

His computer speakers buzzed. "Sir, a Miss Prince at the door to see you."

He pretended not to notice the skip his heart made. "In a minute," he said casually, before sending the Batarang zinging through the darkness and making a _schock_ sound when it hit it's mark in the dummy's chest.

He padded up the stairs, hands stuffed in pockets, and swung through the entrance into the house. He was greeted by a flash of dark hair and a kiss on the mouth.

Diana slung her arms around his shoulders and grinned at him. "Hello."

He let his eyes smile in response, wrapping his own arms carefully around her waist. "That'll be all, Alfred," he said without looking away from her.

He ignored the smugness in the butler's voice as he was dismissed. "Of course, Master Bruce."

When he left, Diana frowned. "You didn't have to come up for me. Weren't you working?"

Had this been anyone else, then he would say he'd been doing work, but… "I was kind of screwing around," he admitted with a little smirk.

"'Screwing around'," she repeated, brow furrowing. "Meaning…?"

He shook his head, a half-laugh at the back of his throat, and kissed her. She responded eagerly, in kind. They hadn't been together for days and days- that was just how their lives were- and they could not get enough of each other now.

When Diana started tugging at his shirt, he broke away. "Upstairs," he said raspily, and their was a little gleam to her eye when she understood.

They didn't quite make it to his bedroom before she began to kiss him again. Impatient, he hoisted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as if this was a familiar dance to them.

They sank into bed in a frenzy of limbs and movement, and then he stopped, hoisting himself off of her with his forearms, to look her in the eye and ask, "Are you sure?"

She was a vision beneath him, hair fanning out around her head, beautiful eyes half-lidded, swollen lips; and then she was reaching down her body and his eyes followed to watch her unlatch her armor from around her middle. "Bruce," she said with a sexy little smirk. "I've been waiting for this a long time."

That was all he needed; her stripping down beneath him was an incredible turn on, and he leaned back down to bestow a soft kiss on her throat. She tugged at his thin shirt again, and this time he let her peel it off him, enjoying the way her eyes watched the fabric pull away and reveal his skin underneath. She tossed it to the corner of the room, licking her lips.

"You next," he said.

He helped her take the armor off, until it was all lying in a pile at the base of the bed, and then she was a little too enthusiastic with his chino pants- ah well, he had plenty of those anyway, and then it was all breath on skin and hands on skin and skin on skin and they enjoyed the deep physical intimacy that finally finally _finally_ reflected their emotional one, until they were one and he didn't know where he ended and she began. He buried his face into her neck, rocking slowly deeply into her, arms braced on either side of her head, and her head lolled back with pleasure and her heels dug into his back- faster, faster- he knew what she meant and he gave it to her because he wanted to make absolutely sure it was perfect.

It was.

**DIANA POV**

And when it was over, and they were lying on their backs beside each other, and their breath was gradually beginning to even out, she was frowning.

He was instantly worried she could tell, and rolled over onto his stomach to look more closely at her. "What is it?" He paused, licking his lips. "Was it not… good?"

She half-laughed at the thought, as if she wasn't still dazed in the aftershocks of her pleasure, as if he hadn't made sure she couldn't stop moaning the whole time. It had been even better than she'd expected. "No, of course not. It's just…" She looked up at the ceiling, cleared her throat and unsure of where to begin. "You know how my people- and I- feel about men."

He smirked then. "I know how you felt about one man in particular a few minutes ago, when you were screaming his name-" She hit him with her arm, not hard enough to really hurt him but enough to elicit an "ow".

She continued. "It's just… I didn't expect to like being beneath you so much." She swallowed. "I can't help but wonder if that's wrong of me. I was raised a proud woman. Would my mother be ashamed?"

He was silent for a moment, taking in what she meant. Chewing his lip a little, which made her want to kiss him, but she resisted because she expected an answer. He finally spoke. "I can't speak for your mother..." (Diana snorted) "But what happens in the bedroom doesn't usually translate to outside of it, Princess. It's not wrong to feel desire…" he trailed a kiss down her collarbone, and she shivered- "Even for a _man_. And, obviously, you're not submissive to me. You _are_ a proud woman. Who happens to enjoy sex." He grinned wickedly, making her feel warm. "But next time you can top if you want."

She understood what he was trying to say, and he was right. She shouldn't be ashamed of her sexual preference, and although her mother might have her head if she knew what she'd just done, it didn't make her less of a woman. "Perhaps," she smiled fondly.

He adopted his vacant playboy swagger for a moment. "That would be so hot," he airily said, and she laughed and hit him again.

They lay there for a while, in post-coital bliss, until Diana finally voiced the fact that they had a meeting soon. Bruce grumbled under his breath, she swatted him. "Let's go."

"You go," he countered as she sat up. "I can't go with you. Not everyone knows we're..." He paused, and she watched him confront his hesitation. "Together."

She understood his need for privacy in the double life that he led. Although it would be nice to be able to kiss him while he was in uniform; maybe some of the younger League members would stop making eyes at him. But she would settle for this happily.

"Alright," she said, getting out of bed and reaching for her armor. She felt his lusty gaze on her naked back and tried to ignore it. She was unsuccessful.

He snagged her wrist and pulled her down on the bed. "I think there's enough time for another round," he murmured into her hair. She couldn't agree more.

* * *

**BRUCE POV**

The Founders Room was just like when he had left it so many months ago, swirling in a fit of anger. He ignored the curious eyes that followed him through the hall that led to it and as the door opened for him.

They were all sitting there; Superman, J'onn, Flash, Shayera, Green Lantern, and, beaming with happiness, Wonder Woman.

Diana. He refused to let his gaze linger on her, even though she'd been moaning his name some twenty minutes ago.

And next to her, his empty chair, as if he'd never really left.

He knew for a fact, from his own intel, that it had never been filled in his absence. And although he would never admit it, he was a little- a _little bit_\- touched.

Flash was the first to speak. "Bats!" he exclaimed, and zoomed to Batman's side, his arms outstretched for a hug before he saw Batman's glare and thought better of it. Batman glared at him until Flash finally sat back down, a little sheepish.

Then, because he couldn't help it, because inexplicably he felt a certain fondness towards the youthful speedster, he said: "Nice to see you again too, Wally." His voice was as stern as he could possibly make it.

Everyone laughed, and the tension broke.

"Welcome back, Batman," said J'onn in his usual grave voice. As he sat down, he watched their faces carefully, and realized with some relief that none of them seemed to be quite hostile towards him anymore. Time had softened their grievances and opened them up to his perspective.

Satisfied, he settled in as Superman stood to give a report. It felt like it was only yesterday that he'd been here with the others, zoning out during Clark's speeches and solving cold cases in his head out of boredom.

He never thought he'd miss being here, but he felt like… He felt like something had been corrected, some small uncomfortable imbalance that had finally been righted. He knew things were prone to fall apart at a moment's notice- hell, probably tomorrow- but today, just today, the world felt right. Like he was finally where he needed to be. And he sat there, puzzling over what to call the feeling- until he finally grasped it.

A little bit of _happiness_.

**THE END**

* * *

**A/N: Whoo! This is the end. It started with the Justice League and it ended with the Justice League. I tried to tie it all together, you can let me know if it worked. :) Anyway, who knew that I would get here? This is the longest thing I've ever written in my life and I'm so immeasurably proud of it, no matter it's quality. But I never would have gotten here by myself.**

** Everyone who's ever read this story, the people without FF accounts who follow along, the people who just prefer to read and stay in the background. Thank you for reading this story, and sticking with it.**

**Everyone who's favourited or followed or left a review once in a while. It's amazing to me that something I wrote has ended up on peoples' 'favourite' list. It's so cool, truly it is, and when you leave comments it seriously makes my day. Thank you for reading, and thank you for loving it so much.**

**And especially, to everyone who's been with me since the start and reviewed every chapter, to everyone who PM'd with me late into the night, and to everyone who cared (you know who you are): Thank you so, so much. I _never_ would have been able to do this without you and your encouragement. You seriously mean a lot to me. Your reviews, your words, the fact that I knew without a shadow of doubt that there were people out there, in the world, who cared about what I wrote, was what inspired me to finish this story. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.**

**Now something else- what's next for me? Well, a sequel is a MAYBE at this point. When I started this story, I already had a good idea for a sequel (an idea that I actually really love), but I didn't expect this story to be so damn long. It's taken a lot out of me, I'll admit. I need a break from it. So basically, I'd love to write a sequel, but a) I need to flesh out the idea and b) I want to dabble a bit in some other fandoms for a bit.**

**But you can bet I'll be back. BMWW is my OTP of all OTPs. In the meantime, you might see some one-shots from me. **

**And hey, feel free to PM me anytime! Whether to offer suggestions for prompts, vent about whatever stupid decision DC is making now, or just to say hello, I love to hear from you. **

**So, that's all I wanted to say. One last time, I hope that you'll leave a review- and either way, I sincerely hope you enjoyed the ride!**


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